Stepping Back
by TheBlack'sResurgence
Summary: Post-OOTP. The episode in the DOM has left Harry a changed boy. He returns to the Dursley's to prepare for his inevitable confrontation with Voldemort, but his stay there is very short-lived. He finds himself in the care of people who he has no choice but to cooperate with and they give him a startling revelation: Harry must travel back to the 1970's to save the wizarding world.
1. Broken

**A/N**

 **The first chapter of my new little adventure I wish to share with you. I should have been a little more clear in the teaser so I will give you all a little more info before we start.**

 **It will be post-ootp after the events of the DOM and it will be a Harry/Bella story, which seems to be rather popular by all accounts, though I had planned it being so before I had even worked out all of the details.**

 **The Horcrux within Harry will be dealt with immediately because it is one of those annoying little sticklers that needs to be addressed. I will explain it in the story but the idea is that as Voldemort possessed him the horcrux re-attached itself to good ol' Tom, freeing Harry from it and also explaining the changes within him. I did toy with the idea of it just vanishing as he goes back in time but that seemed bland and I needed a way for Harry to be different instantaneously.**

 **I am almost 100% sure that my way of travelling back in time is original and haven't seen it in anything I've read so far, and I have been reading a lot of time-travel fics recently to prepare myself for writing one of my own.**

 **Anyway, let us proceed and welcome back to all of you that read 'Honour Thy Blood'. (You will certainly notice some similarities between some of the characters from there in here as we progress).**

 **Please note: this is NOT a sequel to Honour Thy Blood, some of your are under the impression it is, I just wanted to confirm it isn't. I just enjoyed the characterization of a few characters and want to keep them similar.**

 **TBR**

Stepping Back

Chapter 1: Broken

Numbness; that was all that Harry Potter felt. He had screamed and shouted, he had ranted and raved but now, that all seemed rather pointless and even a little foolish to the teen as he stood and regained control over his breathing, that had become heavy and labored in his fit of rage.

Numbness felt strange to Harry who, by his own admission, was always an open book when it came to his emotions which had always been prominent, regardless of what mood he was in. But as the final delicate trinket belonging to Dumbledore simply exploded in his hand from the anger he felt, something within him broke along with it.

Immediately the sadness, the anger and the complete sense of despair had evaporated, leaving him hollow and feeling nothing. He was very much aware that he had not lost his ability to feel but he seemed to have gained a way to control it, even detach himself from it and swallow it into the nothingness, burying it deep within him.

He shook his head that had been pounding since Tom had invaded his mind leaving him rather light-headed and in a considerable amount of pain.

"Are you ok Harry?" Dumbledore asked in concern.

"Fine" Harry answered casually. "But I would like to go to bed now, I need time to absorb everything" he explained.

"Of course my boy" Dumbledore agreed quietly.

The old man watched as Harry left the office feeling a slight chill creep up his back.

"I fear that what happened tonight may have affected him more than I would have expected" he spoke sadly to Fawkes.

The bird trilled mournfully, he himself could feel that the boy had changed somehow, though he couldn't be sure if it was a good thing or not.

Dumbledore sighed and began stroking the bird's chest absentmindedly.

"Perhaps he needs some space" he mumbled. "Though the order will have to keep an eye on him still, it is important that he is kept safe" he concluded, popping a sherbet lemon into his mouth with another sigh.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry made his way to Gryffindor Tower and to his room, meeting no one on the way, something he was very grateful for as he didn't much feel like exchanging pleasantries with anyone.

He undressed and climbed into his bed, drawing the curtains as he did so to ensure his privacy, sealing them with sticking charm as an added measure, though it took a couple of attempts get right due to his obvious tired state.

He began massaging his temples in an attempt to alleviate the throbbing that was plaguing him and began reflecting back on the night he had just had, realising several things as he played it through from the moment he had left his history of magic exam.

Firstly, he had been tricked, there was no excusing that fact. He felt a stab of anger at his own naivety but swallowed it down, something he wouldn't usually do.

He would instead remain angry at himself and blame himself for being rash and acting stupidly in the heat of the moment. After swallowing the anger he thought more logically about what had happened.

Of course he had been tricked, he was only a rather ignorant fifteen year old after all and Voldemort was much older and more experienced than he was.

"Never again", he vowed to himself in a mutter.

He knew that he needed to think more clearly, even when the situation appeared to be dire. Acting rashly had only ever almost got him killed on several occasions and that led him to his next thought.

"We got very lucky," he admitted to himself.

He knew that he and his friends had indeed gotten very lucky. They had gone against some of the very best that Voldemort had and escaped only injured. He was very aware of the fact that they should have all been killed and should consider themselves very fortunate that they hadn't been.

He began questioning why they had gotten as lucky as they had and could come up with no reason to why, it only served to worsen his already pounding head so he abandoned those thoughts.

His musings turned towards his friends that had accompanied him. They had been hurt by going along with him but the expected stab of guilt never came to the young man, causing him to frown and think on it further.

"I told them not to come, they came by their own accord" he mumbled in realisation.

Although he knew he probably should feel a little guilty at least, he couldn't bring himself to. He hadn't asked them to come and he hadn't forced them in any way. He was sorry that they had gotten hurt but he wouldn't shoulder the blame. He didn't personally curse them after all.

That was another thing that started to play on his mind; the differences in the magic that the order and the Death Eater's used.

The Death Eater's were aiming to kill or maim and the order fired nothing worse than stunners.

Harry shook his head exasperatedly.

Even he, a naïve fifteen year old, knew that a war would not be won with stunners and taking prisoners, they had already broken out of Azkaban after all.

"I need to learn better magic for fighting" he declared knowingly.

He surmised that Dumbledore would not like that but it was Harry that Voldemort was coming after and he was very much aware he was not even a fraction of the wizard that he was, again making him realise how lucky he had been in all of their encounters thus far.

He would be making a trip to the library at the earliest possible opportunity, he had a tonne of catching up to do.

He didn't allow his thoughts to dwell on his Godfather, that was a lump of sadness he was not ready to swallow. He did and would miss the man but he wouldn't face that pain yet knowing full well he was not up to it. But that wouldn't stop him thinking of the prophecy, something he should have known about and been prepared for, something that Dumbledore was clearly not keen on doing.

In a way Harry did understand the headmaster's reasoning for keeping it away from him and his reasons would have been well and good had Harry actually had even had a semblance of a childhood but the simple fact was, he hadn't.

It struck Harry odd that he felt nothing towards the headmaster, he had expected at least a stab of anger at the man but it didn't come. Dumbledore had lost much of the respect he had earned from Harry and now, the great man that he had always been seen as by the teen was now simply inconsequential. Harry neither liked nor disliked him, he couldn't even be sure if he looked up to him the same way anymore after the revelations of this evening.

Harry yawned deeply and continued on his trail of thoughts, eventually succumbing to the much-needed sleep that had been overcoming him since he had returned to Hogwarts several hours ago.

 _(BREAK)_

When he woke he felt surprisingly good, great in fact. He managed to stab down the pang of sadness he felt at the thought of Sirius knowing he had to focus on what he had planned; a trip to the library.

He was feeling particularly keen to get started on his self-improvement and his body, for the first time in his life, held no protest at the impending and exhaustive amount of studying he was planning to do. Both his mind and body were ready for the task at hand.

He reached over and retrieved his glasses from the bedside table and put them on as his stomach growled fiercely, reminding him that he hadn't eaten for a very long period of time. He was hungry, much more hungry than he usually felt so he decided he would shower and then head to the kitchens before he went to the library. He couldn't hope to achieve much while his body cried out for nourishment, his hunger would only serve as a distraction.

He fetched some clothes from his trunk and opened the curtains around his bed to be greeted by Neville who looked relieved to see him.

"Hey Neville, how's your nose?", Harry asked the boy.

"Nice to see you awake", Neville replied with a smile. "Madame Pomfrey fixed it straight away", he shrugged.

"What time is it?", Harry asked with a frown.

He knew it couldn't possibly be that late as the sun had clearly only rose recently.

"It's 8 o'clock", Neville answered confusedly.

"I didn't get in bed until 2am Neville" Harry pointed out. "I only slept six hours".

Neville chuckled and shook his head.

"It's Sunday Harry", he informed him. "We went to the ministry on Friday", he added in explanation.

Harry's eyebrows shot up at the revelation.

"I slept for over a whole day?", he questioned disbelievingly.

"You did", Neville confirmed. "And Ron is pissed that you haven't been to see them".

Harry released a deep breath and dragged his hand through his hair.

"Why didn't you wake me up?", he asked with a frown.

"I tried a few times but I couldn't get your curtains open", Neville responded.

Harry tried to think why he couldn't get the curtains open, he had only used a sticking charm after all.

"It was only a sticking charm", Harry returned, feeling a little frustrated.

"I know but none of us could undo it" Neville explained. "Even McGonagall tried, she thought you'd put wards up, she only left you alone because Dumbledore told her to", he added amusedly.

Harry just shook his head at the boy not really understanding why his sticking charm could not be undone by a professor.

"You need to fix your glasses Harry", Neville cut in to his thoughts.

"Huh?", Harry asked. "They're fine" he added, being able to see everything clearly.

Neville frowned this time and shook his head.

"There aren't any lenses in them" he pointed out.

Harry quickly removed them from his nose to see for himself. The other boy was right, there were no lenses in them.

"But I can see", Harry stated dumbly.

"Maybe your eyes fixed themselves", Neville shrugged uncertainly.

"Can they do that?", Harry asked quizzically.

"Dunno", Neville retorted. "But you should probably go and see Pomfrey", he advised.

"Yeah", Harry conceded, lost in his own thoughts.

"Well I'm going there soon, Ginny and Luna are getting out today, you should come, you can see them and get your eyes checked", he suggested.

"I will", Harry agreed. "Just let me shower and get some food first", he requested.

"Ok, I'll wait and then we can go to breakfast", Neville agreed.

"Not in the Great Hall", Harry said a little desperately. "We will go to the kitchens", he compromised not wanting to face a large amount of people.

Neville nodded as Harry left the room to shower and waited for him to return which he did around 15 minutes later, and the two left the tower for a much-needed trip to the kitchens.

After eating more food than he could ever remember eating the duo made their way to the hospital wing to visit their friends that were still in there and so that Harry could get his eyes looked over by the healer, something he was a little nervous about.

He had no idea why his eyesight would just fix itself or even if it was permanent, he just hoped that Madame Pomfrey could explain it to him.

They entered the hospital wing to see both Luna and Ginny being spoken to by the matron who was clearly giving them stern instructions to follow after they left.

Seeing Harry and Neville enter Ginny stepped away from Madame Pomfrey and greeted them both with a hug.

"How're you feeling?", Harry asked the redhead.

"I'm ok but my leg still aches", Ginny frowned. "Ron is sulking", she added in a whisper, shooting a look over his shoulder.

Harry acknowledged it with a nod before turning his attention to Luna.

"What about you, are you ok Luna?", he inquired.

"Oh yes", the girl replied dreamily. "I'm just a little sad that we didn't see anything that Daddy could use for his article on the Rotfang Conspiracy", she sighed airily.

Harry shared a look with Neville who just shook his head, urging his friend not to ask.

"Well I'm glad you're ok", Harry replied, getting the hint.

Luna just bounced on the balls of her feet and begun humming casually in response.

"Where are your glasses?", Ginny questioned, only just becoming aware that Harry did not have them on.

Harry took the frames out of his pocket and frowned at them.

"I don't need them anymore apparently", he answered, still feeling a little confused. "I was going to get Madame Pomfrey to check my eyes", he added.

"You were going to get me to do what Mr. Potter?", the matron asked as she joined them.

"Well I woke up and I don't need my glasses", Harry explained lamely.

Madame Pomfrey stared at him calculatingly before ushering him onto a nearby bed.

"Well, it is not unheard for sight to correct itself", she began. "It is quite uncommon, particularly if it is a magical affliction" she explained. "Was your deficit magic based?", she questioned.

"I don't know" Harry shrugged. "My aunt and uncle took me to a muggle optician when I was young and they gave me these", he answered, gesturing towards the frames clutched in his hand.

"So you never visited a magical healer?", Pomfrey asked with a frown.

"Not until I met you in first year", Harry replied with certainty.

Madame Pomfrey huffed irritably and began mumbling about incompetence and children not receiving the correct care.

"Ok Mr. Potter, I am going to check your eyes, don't worry it is just a simple spell so I can see if there are any issues", she explained in a calming manner.

Harry just nodded and allowed her to proceed, trusting her as he always had with his well-being.

As the woman began casting the spell he felt as though his eyes had turned to a very liquid jelly, a feeling he immediately disliked. As quickly as it started the spell ended and he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"That was weird", he concluded succinctly, shaking his head sharply.

"Well, it seems that your eyes a completely fine Mr. Potter, I don't know what the problem was with them before but it is gone", She informed him, though she was clearly confused a little herself. "You should think yourself lucky, not many people are as fortunate to have their eyes seemingly repair themselves", she finished with a thoughtful frown.

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey", Harry said gratefully, relieved at the good news.

"Perhaps I should give you a thorough check up", Pomfrey suggested thoughtfully.

"No, it's fine", Harry returned quickly, not wanting to be pulled about any further, he had had enough of that in his life already especially under the care of this woman. "Really, it's ok" he added reassuringly.

"Fine", She conceded unhappily. "But if you feel off at all you come straight back, you hear?", she asked firmly.

Harry just nodded before sliding off the bed and returning to Neville and the girls, who were now gathered around Ron.

Harry could see that he was already scowling as he approached and sighed inwardly at the thought of the impending argument.

"Finally decided to show then?" Ron growled as Harry reached them, folding his arms in his annoyance.

"I've been completely out of it until this morning Ron" Harry explained.

"Couldn't have been that bad" Ron shrugged in reply. "You weren't in here like us" he added heatedly.

"I was asleep" Harry reiterated. "It's not like I didn't come here on purpose".

"So you get to sleep peacefully", Ron grumbled. "It's your fault we are here anyway" he spat venomously.

"Ron!", Ginny cut in hotly, warning her brother.

Harry narrowed his eyes at his friend, surprised by how calm he was feeling. Under normal circumstances he would be furious and would vocalise his anger without even thinking about it, clearly the reaction that the others in the room were expecting as they looked between the two worriedly.

Harry stifled the unusually small amount of rage he felt before speaking.

"Tell me, when did I force you to come with me?", he asked the redhead calmly. "At which point did I curse any of you or put that brain on you?" he questioned further with a raised eyebrow.

Ron frowned a muttered incoherently, clearly having no answer to those questions.

"I didn't", Harry answered for him, his voice maintaining its calm tone. "If you remember correctly I told you all to stay behind but it was you that insisted on coming along, as you always have" he pointed out. "I have never asked for your help and I have never made you do anything, yes I am sorry you got hurt but I'm not going to be blamed for it when it was you that came of your own free will" he finished firmly.

"You nearly got us killed, you got Sirius killed" Ron retorted hotly.

Harry swallowed the pang of guilt and sadness he felt at the accusation, narrowed his eyes and stepped towards Ron, allowing a little of his anger to surface as he spoke.

"Sirius died doing what he promised my parents he would, protecting me and I know full well that I am the reason he was there, I don't need you pointing that out" Harry said in just above a whisper. "But I will tell you what Ron, if you want to blame me then that's fine, but remember, you have your own brain in your head, use it in future before you are tragically led astray" he advised, finishing with his face only six inches away from the redhead's own.

Ron simply could not reply. He was used to Harry shouting and screaming, being quick to temper, he wasn't used to this and it was much more scary seeing his friend so calm. A shiver ran down his spine as Harry spoke to him this way so easily, making him shudder involuntarily and swallowing deeply.

"Now, I have a few things to do, could one of you tell me when Hermione wakes up please?" Harry asked, eliciting a dumb nod of concurrence from Neville.

Harry then made his way out of the hospital wing leaving behind three dumbfounded friends in his wake.

"That was very unlike Harry", Luna declared, breaking the silence.

"It's scarier when he doesn't shout" Neville observed with a shake of his head.

"What's happened to him?", Ginny asked worriedly.

"His godfather just died", Neville reminded her.

"I don't think that's grief, something is very different about him", she replied sounding very sure of herself.

"Shall we will keep an eye on him?", Neville asked nervously.

"Yeah", Ginny readily agreed. "I think we have to", she added sounding a little more certain. "Are you ok Ron?" she questioned her brother who was looking pale.

"Why didn't he shout?", Ron asked simply. "When we are mad at each other we shout, have a few days to ourselves and then we make up" he explained, still confused at what had happened and still a little jittery.

The other three just shrugged, not understanding it anymore than Ron did.

 _(BREAK)_

After exiting the hospital wing Harry made his way to the library, even more keen to distract himself after the run in he had with Ron. He again pushed his emotions away reminding himself that he needed to be focused and not allow himself to be distracted by what had happened over the last few days.

He entered the room to find it mostly empty, save for a few Ravenclaw students, and began perusing the shelves, looking for anything that could be useful in a fight with Death Eaters.

After searching for well over an hour he sighed in defeat. There was very little here that could give him the kind of help he was looking for and glanced hungrily towards the restricted section knowing full well he wouldn't get permission to take anything from there to read for leisure purposes.

It was then that another realisation hit him, one he should have been aware of from the start and something he had overlooked in his eagerness.

The summer holidays were less than two weeks away and he wouldn't be able to take any of the books home with him and he knew if Dumbledore got wind of what he was doing he would certainly put a stop to it.

'I need to get my own books' he sighed inwardly.

He knew he had more than enough in his vault for some books but he had no way of getting any knowing that he would not be able to visit Diagon Alley let alone Knockturn Alley to find what he needed.

He left the library in a rather foul mood, trying to think of a way that he could get the much needed material. He considered asking some older students if they had any that he could borrow but very much doubted any student would have what he needed.

He entered the 5th year boy's dormitory, grateful that it was empty, and threw himself on his bed.

"Maybe Remus would help" he mumbled thoughtfully.

He however wasn't ready to face the broken stare of the werewolf, who no doubt was mourning the passing of his final true friend.

Again Harry swallowed down a stab of guilt and sadness before continuing his musings.

"That's it" he declared after a few moments, though he was not completely certain about his plan. "Dobby?" he called a little tentatively.

There was a loud crack as the house elf appeared looking very excited to be summoned by Harry.

"What can Dobby be doing for Harry Potter sir?" the elf asked in his usual hyperactive fashion, bouncing in his happiness.

"Dobby I need you to be calm and listen" Harry requested.

The elf immediately stood stock still and waited for Harry to continue.

"Can I trust you to keep my secrets?", Harry questioned the elf bluntly.

"Dobby would never be telling Harry Potter sirs secrets" he answered immediately shaking his head and causing his bat-like ears to flap comically.

"Good", Harry responded gratefully. "Is there any way you can get gold from my Gringotts account?" he asked.

"If Harry Potter sir gives Dobby his key then Dobby can be doing that" the elf informed him.

"Shit, I don't have my key", Harry cursed irritably. "Is there no other way?" he asked a little desperately.

"No Harry Potter sir", Dobby answered sadly, his head drooping in disappointment. "What does Harry Potter sir be needing", he inquired.

Harry sighed and rubbed his temples, frustrated.

"I need some books, but they don't have them in the library" he explained.

"What kind of books Harry Potter sir?", the elf asked further.

"Books that will teach me how to fight Death Eaters", Harry whispered, shooting a furtive glance towards the door.

Dobby mimicked Harry's action before leaning in closer.

"Is Harry Potter sir needing books that being unfriendly?", he asked in a whisper, sounding more serious than Harry had ever heard him.

"Yes", Harry confirmed with a resolute nod.

"Dobby be knowing where books like that be Harry Potter sir", the elf replied in an excited whisper.

"Where?", Harry asked excitedly while shooting to his feet.

"They is in the come and go room Harry Potter sir", the elf answered mirroring Harry's excitement and also sounding a little mischievous.

Harry sighed and sat down, shaking his head.

"You can't take anything out of there" he pointed out.

"They is being in a special room Harry Potter sir, they is being hidden there by people", the elf explained.

Harry stood again.

He couldn't be certain but he assumed that if the books were only hidden there then he could retrieve them.

"Can you take me?", he asked the elf, feeling his eagerness swelling within him once again.

"Dobby be meeting you there", Dobby responded with a nod before disappearing with a crack.

Harry raced from the tower as fast as his legs would carry him to meet the elf, praising the creature as he went.

He arrived at the tapestry of the dancing trolls feeling more than a little breathless as he came upon Dobby who was stood in front of a very old oak door.

"They is being in here Harry Potter sir", the elf informed him, gesturing for Harry to enter which he did immediately, followed by Dobby.

What he saw inside took his breath away and left him staring in awe.

There was stack upon stack of items that even he could tell were very valuable, it was very much like a large muggle antique shop.

He could see a few pensieves, some old broomsticks and even a couple of invisibility cloaks similar to his own which he knew for a fact were worth a fortune themselves.

"Can you take anything out of this room?", he asked the elf breathily, still in awe at what he was seeing.

"Yes Harry Potter sir, this is all being hidden by wizards and witches", Dobby confirmed.

It was then that he had his second stroke of genius of the day.

He knew very well that he didn't have much money with him and Dumbledore would insist that Molly Weasley would complete his school shopping for him for the next school year, so he would have no chance of getting any large quantities of gold from his vault. He also knew that he may find himself in need of gold at some point in the future and knew that yet again he would not have his key, but perhaps he could sell the valuable stuff in the room, nobody would be missing it after all and the cause was certainly worthy.

"Dobby, can you take things and sell them", he inquired nervously, hoping that the elf could give him another lifeline.

"Dobby can be doing that", the elf answered excitedly, knowing where this was going. "Dobby used to be selling for his former master", he added.

"Ok, I want you to take anything valuable and sell it please", Harry requested. "Is there somewhere you can keep gold?", he questioned, realising that he needed somewhere to store it.

"Dobby can be using a trunk sir, he can make it as big inside as he like", he replied happily.

"Could you do it for me please?", Harry asked hopefully.

"Dobby will Harry Potter sir", the elf exclaimed, clearly elated at the prospect of doing something important for Harry. "Dobby even be getting Winky to help", he added thoughtfully.

Harry smiled and nodded at the creature, pleased that something was finally going right.

"Ok, so where are the books?", he asked, not being able to see any around them.

"They is being this way", Dobby answered seriously, taking Harry by the arm and leading him through the aisles of items.

They eventually came upon what Harry could describe as a treasure trove of tomes and he immediately began sorting through them, putting aside anything that looked useful. He flicked through a few of them feeling very happy that they contained what he was looking for, even coming across a book on dueling written by Salazar Slytherin himself.

Dobby, seeing that Harry was busy, immediately began attending to the task he had been set and called Winky to help him who was happy to be out of the kitchen and completing a job for a wizard.

It was a couple of hours later that Harry let out a sigh of relief after he finally finished sorting through the books. Out of the 300 or so there he had put aside around 50 that would be useful to him, some of which contained spells that were a little more than questionable.

Harry had reluctantly accepted the fact that these types of curses and such were the types of things he needed to learn to even stand a chance in a fight with the Death Eaters let alone Voldemort himself. He knew that he could no longer rely on the luck he had experienced so far and needed to become a much better wizard and fighter, something he would achieve by any means necessary.

With Dobby's help he placed the books into a trunk he had found in the room and had the elf shrink it and place a feather light charm so he could keep it with him at all times.

He found that he was hungry once again and Dobby brought him lunch before he headed back to the tower to start reading through some of his newly acquired books and to get some sleep, before going back to the room tomorrow to start on learning the spells he knew he needed to.

 _(BREAK)_

He awoke early the next morning and left the dormitory as quietly as possible to avoid waking any of the others in the room. He made a quick trip to the kitchens to get some breakfast and made his way to the room of requirement, asking for somewhere that he could practice his spell casting.

The room that he was provided with was similar to the one that the DA had used throughout the year before they of course had been discovered by Umbridge.

He removed his robes and took out the first book he had decided to attempt a few of the spells from and faced the stationary dummy that stood around fifteen feet away from him.

He opened the dueling book that Slytherin had written and reviewed the theory behind the firsts spell he wanted to try; a severing curse.

The text did not go into specific details of what the effects of the spell would be so Harry had just decided to see for himself. He was confident that he had the ability to perform but the one drawback he had encountered was that Slytherin himself had highlighted the advantages of non-verbal casting, something that Harry had never tried though he had seen both Dumbledore and Voldemort use the technique in their duel and knew that it was the first thing he needed to work on if he was to become proficient enough to face the Dark Lord himself.

He drew his wand and readied himself to fire the curse for the very first time and was not surprised that nothing happened, though it did frustrate him a little.

He spent the next ten minutes trying to curse the dummy becoming more and more irritated that nothing was happening. He could feel his magic literally itching to escape at his will but the build up of magic he could feel would just dissipate as it reached his hand, leaving behind nothing but a gentle tingling within the extremity.

After another five minutes of the same result he felt a burst of anger well within him and he flicked his wand towards the dummy causing a jagged, purple bolt to erupt from his wand and strike it in the centre of the chest.

He did not have time to admire his work however. As soon as the spell left his wand, under much protest, the wood within his hand grew deathly hot and he dropped it as it began to sear his skin causing the teen to yelp in both pain and surprise.

"shit, what the hell?", he cursed as he began blowing on his hand in an attempt to cool it.

After a few moments he managed to put his discomfort to the back of his mind and moved closer to the dummy to inspect the damage his curse had done only to find that the head, neck and one of the shoulders had been cleaved away from the rest leaving behind an uneven line where the spell had separated it from the torso.

Shaking his head in surprise he turned away from the dummy and tentatively picked his wand up from the floor, pleased that it had cooled once more. He very much doubted that the spell was supposed to make his wand get so hot that it could no longer be held, but he knew he had performed it correctly even though he had been more than a little miffed as he casted it.

He decided to not attempt that particular curse for the time being and moved on to a few others but the result had been the same. Each time he managed to cast the spell his wand became unbearably hot, causing him to drop it once again.

After it had happened for the fifth time he decided to just work on casting the most basic spells non-verbally which he found he could do without scorching himself, though the wand still became uncharacteristically hot, something he would certainly have to look into when he could.

 _(BREAK)_

This is how Harry had spent the rest of his days of the school year at Hogwarts. He would wake in the morning, head to the kitchens for breakfast and then spend the rest of the day in the room working on as much as he could in dueling, something that he knew he was taking to naturally just as he had with flying.

His wand had continued to be very temperamental so he had mostly worked on movements and stances he had found within the books and practiced putting together wand movements quickly, effectively and as efficiently as possible.

He had been left alone for the most part as Ron had not even attempted to talk to him even after he had left the hospital wing.

Hermione had woken a week after the events in the department of mysteries and seemed to hold no ill feelings towards Harry, though she was insistent that Harry needed to grieve, something that annoyed the teen rather quickly.

He had noticed that both Neville and Ginny would make excuses to spend time with him when he wasn't in the room, something else that bothered him.

He was quite happy to spend time with the pair but it seemed that they had no reason at all to do so other than to keep an eye on him and Harry had had enough of that, particularly over the last year or so.

He had mostly managed to avoid the two though when he wanted to be in the room, much to his own relief and thought that he would be able to just board the train home without any further problems or annoyances, of which he had had his share of this year.

The peaceful exit he desired was not to be however.

It had begun two days before the train was to take the students back to Kings Cross when he was summoned to Dumbledore's office, not completely unexpected but not exactly a welcome distraction either.

He entered the headmaster's office and took a seat opposite the man and waited for him to speak, having nothing he wanted to talk to him about himself.

Dumbledore stared at the teen speculatively for a moment before he began.

"How are you Harry?", he asked in concern.

"Fine sir", Harry shrugged.

He truly did feel ok. Anytime a sense of sadness threatened to overcome him he managed to swallow it down.

Dumbledore just nodded, not at all convinced but decided against dragging out that particular subject any further.

"I'm afraid that you are going to have to return to your relatives for at least the first part of the summer my boy", Dumbledore spoke again after a moment.

"I thought as much", Harry responded casually knowing full well that would be happening.

"I'm sure we can make other arrangements for later on", Dumbledore tried.

"I'm not going back to Grimmauld Place", Harry stated in return, having no desire to be in Sirius's house. "And the Burrow is unlikely as Ron is not talking to me", he explained.

"I'm sure Mr. Weasley will come around", Dumbledore said in an attempt to placate the teen.

"Actually sir, I'd rather just be left alone this summer", Harry requested. "I have more important things to focus on than quidditch and avoiding Fred and George's pranks", he added seriously.

Dumbledore sighed and shook his head.

"I do not think it is wise for you to spend all of your time alone Harry", he pointed out.

"But that is my choice sir", Harry replied a little irritably.

Dumbledore sighed again and conceded the point with a nod.

"Very well, but there will be a member of the order on guard at all times", he explained.

"You mean to keep an eye on me", Harry retorted.

"They are there to keep you safe Harry", Dumbledore responded firmly.

Harry snorted slightly.

"That's what the wards are there for", he said shaking his head. "You said yourself that anyone who intends harm cannot pass them, so having a member of the order there is a waste of time", he pointed out logically.

"It is an additional protection Harry", Dumbledore answered calmly. "Do not take it for granted", he advised.

"So again I will get no privacy", Harry frowned. "Living with them is bad enough without being watched constantly by people who are supposed to be on my side, I am not a child Headmaster, I don't need baby sitting".

"I'm afraid that is how it has to be my boy", Dumbledore sighed sadly.

Harry just shook his head in frustration.

"Is that all?", Harry asked after calming himself.

Dumbledore sighed again and nodded.

"Goodbye Professor", Harry stated as he made his way to the door.

"It is not good to stifle your feelings Harry", Dumbledore warned. "It will only make you bitter and send you down a path that you are much better than", he added. "I implore you to rethink your summer plans", he finished, clearly concerned.

Harry had paused after he had opened the door but did not turn to face the man who had addressed him. When Dumbledore had finished Harry just shook his head at the words of the headmaster and left the room.

The next bothersome thing to take place had happened as he was leaving the castle to get the train to London when he was accosted by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in the entrance hall.

He was just about to exit when he was forcefully turned around by the blonde who was clearly furious with Harry.

"You'll pay for what you did to my father", Malfoy hissed threateningly.

Harry simply found him amusing, and not a threat whatsoever after what he had experienced over the last couple of weeks.

"Go on then", Harry challenged, folding his arms casually.

"What?", Malfoy asked with a frown.

"Go on then", Harry urged, discreetly gripping his wand that he had stashed up his sleeve.

Malfoy looked towards his two goons, who just stared dumbly back. Realising that he would get no help from them he reached into his pocket and fumbled as he tried to retrieve his wand.

Before he could understand what was happening the point of a wand was pressed up against his cheek and he found his wrist in a vice-like grip. The tip of the wand was uncomfortably hot but the blonde was too distracted by the narrowed green eyes that were boring into his own.

"If you threaten me again Malfoy then your father being buggered in Azkaban will be the least of your worries", Harry whispered dangerously. "Got it?", he asked stepping closer to the boy who just swallowed deeply and nodded.

"Potter", an angry voice cut in as Professor Snape approached the group. "What are you doing?", he questioned suspiciously.

"Just saying goodbye to Draco sir", Harry replied happily, giving the boy a condescending pat on the head.

Snape curled his lip in distaste at the teen.

"Get out of here Potter", he instructed irritably.

Harry immediately left and made his way to the carriages, even managing to board the train without any more interruptions and find a compartment to himself, which he locked and drew the blinds over the window, not wanting to be disturbed.

He sighed in relief to be away from the castle, something he thought he would never do and began to read a book on wandlore he had Dobby buy for him.

He had intended on asking Dumbledore about his wand but forgot all about it during their meeting as he became annoyed by the old man.

He needed to do something soon about it but he knew that it was not possible. There was no way that he would be able to convince Vernon to take him to London and he knew he could not escape the confines of Privet Drive, especially if Moody was around, and he had no doubt that he would be.

 _(BREAK)_

As the train neared its final leg of the journey Harry slammed the book shut in defeat. He had learnt a reasonable amount about wands and even had a new appreciation for them, but the book had failed to provide him with anything relevant in regards to his problems with his own.

Harry drew the length of holly from his sleeve and stared at it thoughtfully.

"Why won't you work?", he muttered.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the arrival of Dobby and Winky who appeared with a loud crack, carrying a large trunk between them.

"Dobby and Winky be finished selling now Harry Potter sir", Dobby informed him tiredly.

"Already?", Harry asked, surprised that they had managed it so quickly.

"Dobby and Winky knowing what we is doing", Winky answered with a firm nod.

"That's great", Harry exclaimed happily. "How much did you get?", he inquired knowing that few thousands galleons would be great if he found himself in need of it before he could access his vault, whenever that may be.

"We be getting almost 4 million galleons Harry Potter Sir", Dobby answered. "Is that being enough?" he added uncertainly.

Harry's eyebrows shot up at the figure he had been given, it was much more than he would of imagined.

"That much?", he asked, completely flabbergasted by the sum.

"Shop keepers in dark place be thinking that Dobby is still a Malfoy elf Harry Potter sir", Dobby explained. "They be paying top prices quickly".

Harry just shook his head in disbelief at the pair of elves.

"Thank you", he said gratefully. "I want you both to take as much as you like from it", he instructed.

Winky simply looked affronted and Dobby shook his head.

"We is not wanting galleons Harry Potter sir, Dobby is happy with his galleon a month and Winky not wanting paid sir", Dobby answered firmly.

Harry sighed knowing that he would not be able to convince them to take anything.

"Ok, well if there is anything I can do for you then you just have to ask", he responded sincerely.

"We is just wanting to be working sir", Winky answered. "The castle is being empty now", she pointed out.

"Well, how about I will call you both if I need anything done over the summer?", Harry offered a little hesitantly.

Dobby and Winky's eyes both lit up at the idea and they bounced happily in excitement.

"We is being happy with that", Dobby exclaimed before the pair disappeared with a final crack.

Harry just shook his head at the two and began attempting to shrink the trunk they had brought, which he managed to do after several attempts with his ever-worsening wand and placed it into his own trunk along with the other trunk of books he already had in there.

Soon after, the trained pull into the station and Harry quickly left the train and exited the platform to avoid bumping into any of his friends, guessing that they had been looking for him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Ron and his grumpiness, nor Hermione and her advice on seeking grief counseling.

He had already surmised that they would not be allowed to write with him over the summer as was the case the previous year so he began looking for the Dursley's, just wanting to get home and continue the studying he had begun before the term had ended.

He caught sight of his relatives and frowned as he saw various members of the order talking to them. Even from where he was Harry could see that the conversation was not a friendly one. Vernon was already a dangerous shade of purple and Petunia was scanning the crowd worriedly, clearly hoping that no one they knew were around to see them talking to the strange group of people.

Harry approached the group and situated himself between them, facing his aunt and uncle.

"Go and wait in the car", he instructed calmly but firmly. "I'll handle this", he assured them.

Vernon looked as though he would protest but Petunia placed a hand on his meaty arm and gently led him away, shooting Harry what he perceived to be a look of gratitude.

Harry turned to face the four order members and shook his head.

"My summers with them are bad enough without your interference", he spoke quietly. "All you've done is give them more of a reason to lock me up, starve me and beat the shit out of me when they like, thanks", he finished sarcastically.

"We were only trying to help", Arthur Weasley explained.

"Well don't", Harry commanded.

"Dumbledore wouldn't leave you there if it was that bad", Tonks cut in disbelievingly.

"Well he does", Harry shrugged. "I just want to be left alone, I know you'll all be there on babysitting duty because Dumbledore tells you to, but I don't want to see any of you", he told them sternly.

"Harry, you need to talk to someone", Remus tried desperately "Isolating yourself from your friends won't help", he added.

Harry shook his head at the man noticing that he looked the worst that he had ever seen him.

"So Hermione wrote to you", he deduced. "I am sorry about Sirius Remus, I am, but I have more important things to focus on and if you don't know what that is then you need to take it up with Dumbledore, unless he has actually seen fit to tell any of you anything?", he questioned.

When none, even Moody didn't answer, Harry shook his head.

"I didn't think so", he acknowledged irritably. "Just leave me alone, ok", he demanded before turning and leaving the station.

"What the hell was he talking about?", Remus asked sadly.

"I don't know, but I'm going to have a word with Albus, something is off about the boy", Moody growled.

"What do you mean?", Arthur questioned out of concern.

"He reminds me of a lad I knew just before he became a ruthless bastard and a dark one at that", Moody replied seriously.

The other three shared an apprehensive look.

"Who?", Tonks asked in little more than a whisper.

"Me", Moody growled, a sinister grin forming on his face before he turned and walked away, every other step echoing with a deep clunk.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry could immediately se when he entered the Dursley's car that a confrontation with the trio was on the agenda for the day. He sighed and sat in silence for the duration of the journey watching his uncle's mustache twitch in his aggravated state.

Vernon was a pathetic man really and was even less of a threat than Malfoy, an observation which Harry found rather amusing. The ample size advantage that the man had over his nephew had been all he had over the years, but those days were behind them now.

Yes, Vernon was much larger than Harry in terms of mass and girth, but Harry was now taller than the man and found him to be nothing short of a petty bully, something that he would not be getting away with any longer. Harry had faced the Death Eaters and even the Dark Lord on several occasions and his uncle was nothing but a nuisance in comparison.

As the car pulled into the drive Harry removed his trunk from the boot of the car and entered the house where the three Dursley's were waiting for him in the hallway.

"I will not be threatened by a bunch of freaks", Vernon roared, spraying an obscene amount of spittle as he did so. "They have no say what goes on in my house", he added angrily.

Harry sighed and shook his head at the man.

"I completely agree with you", he shrugged, much to the surprise of his relatives.

"Are you being funny boy?", Vernon asked dangerously, taking a threatening step towards his nephew.

Harry quickly drew his wand and pointed it between his uncle's eyes, glaring at him.

"I think you'll find that it was me that put a stop to it Vernon", he reminded the man calmly, though his voice was laced with warning.

"You wouldn't dare use it", Vernon proclaimed confidently. "They'll throw you out of that school, I remember the letter you got", he pointed out knowingly.

Harry just chuckled at the man, though he really saw no amusement in the situation.

"The ministry has much more important things to worry about than what happens here", he stated. "Don't push me Vernon", he warned, feeling a surge of anger welling within him, causing his wand to grow exceedingly hot in his hand.

The two just stared at each other, daring the other to make their move when they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell chiming.

"I'll get it", Petunia declared loudly in an attempt to drag the two from their stand-off.

"Put it away", Vernon hissed as his wife approached the door.

Harry lowered his wand but held it firmly in his hand, though it was still burning him.

Petunia answered the door and let out a scream of horror, immediately putting Harry back on guard.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Dursley, I was wondering if I might have a word with Harry", the voice of Dumbledore sounded throughout the hallway.

Petunia said nothing but opened the door to allow the man in, though she did so reluctantly.

"Ah Harry, I see your relatives and yourself are catching up", he stated with a nod as he crossed the threshold. "May we talk in private?", he asked.

Harry led the headmaster into the living, the pair being glared at by Vernon who, for once, had wisely kept his mouth shut.

"I was just visited by Remus and Alastor, they are both rather concerned about you", Dumbledore began after he had taken a seat.

"I told them to not interfere with my relatives, that's all", Harry explained, feeling annoyed at the two men.

"I see", Dumbledore acknowledged. "I do not believe you being here is going to work so Arthur has kindly offered you a place at the Burrow for the duration of the summer", he explained, his eyes twinkling.

"We already had this conversation sir", Harry reminded him.

"Young Mr. Weasley has been warned to behave", Dumbledore returned hopefully.

Harry just shook his head at the man.

"I just want to be left alone", he sighed. "If you expect me to kill Tom then you have to let me do this", he pleaded slightly.

"You will not tot defeat Tom by taking a similar path to him", Dumbledore returned gravely. "It is the love you possess that separates the two of you", he added confidently.

"The last person I had any love for is now dead", Harry growled in reply. "It is me that is going to have to face him professor, if you won't prepare me then I will prepare myself", he finished firmly.

"I fully intend on preparing you Harry", Dumbledore assured him.

"So you are going to teach me how to fight?", Harry asked incredulously, feeling a little excited at the prospect of learning some of the magic he had seen the man use against Voldemort.

"That will not be necessary", Dumbledore answered with a frown.

Harry sighed again.

"So you just think that he will be killed by his own curse again?", he questioned exasperatedly.

When the old man didn't reply Harry laughed, mostly from shock.

"That's exactly what you plan on happening", Harry exclaimed in realisation. "I am not going to take my chances with that, I will not face him or the Death Eaters without being ready", he finished firmly.

"The Death Eaters are not your problem Harry", Dumbledore replied casually.

"They follow him, they are my problem", Harry answered simply. "You might be willing to risk my life on a stupid plan but I'm not", he added heatedly.

"I wish you would trust me Harry", Dumbledore sighed.

"Right now sir, there is no one I trust, especially if they expect me to fight without being trained", Harry responded.

Dumbledore stood and shook his head sadly.

"I do hope you reconsider this", he implored. "If there is anything else I can help you with then I shall do my best", he finished genuinely as he headed towards the door.

"Actually there is", Harry suddenly declared. "My wand hasn't been working properly since that night at the ministry, do you know why?" he asked hopefully handing the wood to the man.

Dumbledore drew his own and began muttering under his breath while Harry waited for him to finish.

"It is in perfect working order", Dumbledore informed him.

"It isn't", Harry proclaimed. "It gets really hot when I cast spells with it and its hard to get a spell to work at all, I can feel the magic in me reacting but it won't come out", he explained exasperatedly.

Dumbledore frowned, then his eyes suddenly widened in realization and he smiled.

"It seems as though you have outgrown your wand my boy, quite the feat indeed", he spoke happily, though he seemed a little too thoughtful for Harry's liking.

"Outgrown it?", Harry asked uncertainly.

"It is possible for a witch or wizard to mature beyond the capabilities of a wand" Dumbledore explained knowingly. "Or if something changes within them", he added in a whisper, looking at Harry speculatively.

Harry just frowned not really understanding what was being said to him.

"Tell me Harry, have you had any headaches since Tom possessed you?", he asked, with a little hope in his voice.

Harry though back over the past couple of weeks and realised that he hadn't had any headaches at all, his scar hadn't even bothered him once.

"No, nothing at all, my scar hasn't hurt", Harry answered.

"I see", Dumbledore whispered, glancing to where the famous scar was, though it was hidden by the boy's hair. "May I run a few scans?", he asked. "I just want to check a few things, nothing invasive", he promised.

Harry just shrugged his compliance.

Dumbledore began casting several spells, repeating them over and over again to be sure of his findings.

"Would you mind talking to a snake if I summon one?", he inquired.

"If it will help", Harry replied confusedly.

Dumbledore summoned a snake and Harry shared a brief conversation with it as he had on other occasions with similar creatures.

"Hmm", Dumbledore mused after he had vanished it. "I would like to try one more spell, but it will be a little uncomfortable", he explained.

"If it helps with my wand then do it", Harry sighed.

Dumbledore nodded and began chanting in a strange tongue while waving his wand over Harry's head.

Harry felt as though he brain was swelling within his skull and clenched his teeth under protest from the pressure. The feeling quickly receded though once Dumbledore had stopped and stared at him with a bright smile, his eyes twinkling madly.

"So?", Harry asked a little impatiently.

"Something I need to think about", the headmaster answered excitedly. "Nothing for you to worry about my boy", he assured the teen.

"Do I need a new wand then?", Harry questioned irritably.

"I believe so", Dumbledore replied. "I will fetch you in a couple of weeks and we will go to Olivander's to get one", he promised. "May I see your scar for a moment", he asked.

Harry sighed and lifted his fringe so the man could see.

"Inconceivable", Dumbledore whispered.

"What is?", Harry sighed.

"Your scar is almost gone", Dumbledore informed him with another smile.

"What does that mean?", Harry inquired.

"I will explain everything to you soon enough, once I myself understand it fully", Dumbledore returned sincerely.

Harry just nodded knowing that he would get no more information from the man.

"I will take my leave, but please think of what we spoke about", he requested.

"Ok, I will think about it", Harry conceded.

"Good boy", Dumbledore responded before leaving the room.

Harry just dragged his hand through his hair and waited for him to leave the house before entering the hallway once more.

"Are you not leaving then?", Petunia asked, sounding hopeful at the prospect.

"No Aunt Petunia", Harry answered. "How about we just stay out of each other's way", Harry suggested. "I will make sure any chores are done and you three just leave me alone, I will only want to use the bathroom and I will provide my own food", he offered, hoping that they would accept.

"Fine", Vernon agreed. "Just so long as you stay away from us", he warned.

"Works for me", Harry shrugged.

Harry passed his days at Privet Drive by waking early and spending as much as the day as possible studying, and practicing the wand movements of the spells he was learning, confident that he would be able to perform them adequately when he obtained a new wand.

He had asked for the help of Dobby and Winky to complete the needed chores knowing that what he was doing was more important. The elves had eagerly agreed to help the teen and Winky would bring him several meals a day, something that pleased him as his appetite had certainly grown recently.

Apart from not hearing from anyone in any form, there was one thing that was bothering Harry and that was that he seemed to have a lot of pent up energy, more than he had ever had before. He had put it down to his increase of food but began questioning whether or not it had something to do with what Dumbledore was looking in to.

In an attempt to release the energy he started exercising in the mornings immediately noticing the benefits, as he was able to focus on his work without fidgeting as he had been. He would do push ups and such and even began jogging on the odd day, always being tailed by whoever was watching him at the time.

He had been home from Hogwarts for almost two weeks and was sat at his desk reading the final page of the night as his alarm clock beeped, notifying him that it was now midnight.

He finished the page he was reading and stretched, readying himself for the four hours sleep he would now get a night, not by choice mind, but it seemed that he was well rested even after what he considered to be a short sleep.

He had just returned the book he had finished to the trunk when he heard two near inaudible pops sound within the room and he quickly drew his wand instinctively, but he was not quick enough.

He managed to get a glimpse of two figures in dark robes as he turned before a jet of red light hit him and he knew no more.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore sat at a table in the Great Hall surrounded by the members of the Order of the Phoenix, preparing himself to address them in regards to Harry.

He had spent the past couple of weeks pondering the boy and his discovery that somehow, by some miracle, the Horcrux within him was gone.

Initially Dumbledore had been ecstatic by the news but soon found himself in quite the quandary. He had firstly believed that with Harry managing to rid himself of the Horcrux, the prophecy had been fulfilled, a thought that did not last very long at all. The prophecy clearly stated that one must die by the hand of the other and neither of the two were dead yet.

This also partially explained why Harry's wand would no longer work for him; it was simply no longer a match. Clearly the influence of Tom had been much more prominent within Harry than Dumbledore had ever anticipated, to the point that it affected the primary choice of wand core for the boy, the pair sharing an exact core of course.

Dumbledore also believed that Harry had also matured above the capabilities of the wand he had, something he would ask the members of the Order that had recent contact with the boy. He himself had noticed that Harry was much calmer than he would usually be, even when being told that he would be staying with his relatives, he did not shout or get angry in his usual fashion but he had accepted it calmly.

Regardless of anything speculative, one thing was clear to the Headmaster and it pained him to admit it; Harry would indeed need to be trained and ready to fight Tom, something that Dumbledore had never wanted to face but no longer had a choice. He could either help Harry and guide him away from a path he was heading down, or he could continue to try and control him, giving the boy no reason to trust anyone and sacrificing his innocence to be victorious, something that the old man suspected that Harry would achieve by any means necessary.

Seeing that the entire Order, minus Tonks' who was on guard duty, was present, he cleared his throat to begin.

"I have called you all here tonight to discuss young Mr. Potter", he informed the assembled people.

"What is there to discuss?", Snape asked irritably. "You said yourself the boy has demanded to be left alone to sulk for the summer, I say we leave him to it", he finished with a drawl.

"It is no longer that simple Severus", Dumbledore responded gravely. "Have any of you noticed anything different about Harry?", he inquired. "Anything at all".

"He was barely seen for the last two weeks of term, Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger were rather concerned about him, he seems to have isolated himself from everyone", Minerva pointed out worriedly.

"Ron also mentioned that when he and Harry had an argument in the hospital wing that he didn't get angry like he usually would", Molly interjected.

"Yes, my observations also", Dumbledore mused aloud. "Anything else?", he added.

"Just before the students left for the summer I came across Potter and Mr. Malfoy having an exchange, though it was not explosive and loud as they would usually be", Snape answered thoughtfully. "Whatever happened left Draco with quite a burn on his cheek and rather shaken up", he explained with a frown.

"Aye and the lad wasn't happy with us having words with his relatives, I know I am right about the boy Albus", Moody spoke darkly.

"I fear that you are almost right Alastor, but we can still prevent it", Dumbledore sighed.

"You really think that Harry is turning dark?", Remus asked worriedly.

"I believe that Harry is willing to do whatever is necessary to kill Tom", Dumbledore answered. "It is undeniable that he has changed, all of the evidence points that way", he surmised.

"The boy is just sulking, he will be back to his arrogant self by the end of the summer, mark my words", Snape retorted.

"I wish that was the case Severus, but there is no doubt that Harry has changed permanently, I wish that it wasn't true but it is", Dumbledore said sadly.

"What do you mean? Are you sure it's not just the grief?", Arthur asked worriedly.

Dumbledore sighed.

"The changes are undeniable after the last conversation I had with him when Alastor brought his concerns to my attention", the headmaster began. "Harry has outgrown his wand, something that would not happen unless the changes were permanent", he explained.

"So what do we do?", Remus asked, clearly concerned for the teen.

"We have to help him", Dumbledore replied firmly. "We have to prepare him for the fight he will undoubtedly seek out", he explained.

"He wouldn't", Molly exclaimed.

"He is already preparing himself, though I do not know how, the best thing we can do is train him and help him, or he will do it alone and will only push us away if we do not" Dumbledore replied with a shake of his head.

"You said that it wouldn't come to this", Remus growled angrily pointing at the man with a shaky finger.

"I'm afraid it has been taken out of my hands", Dumbledore returned disappointedly. "I am going to fetch him tomorrow and he will spend the rest of the summer here at Hogwarts where I will train him along with any of you that can help", he finished with a tone of finality in his voice.

"Aye, I'll help", Moody declared. "If we can teach him then maybe we can stop him taking certain actions", he concluded.

"Me too", Remus agreed reluctantly.

"What will you teach him?", Minerva asked.

"To kill the bastard and his followers", Moody growled excitedly.

Clearly the ex-Auror had had enough of the passive way the Order was fighting.

Dumbledore nodded reluctantly at the crass summary that Moody gave.

"I don't believe I'm hearing this", Molly interjected disbelievingly. "He is just a child and you are going to teach him how to kill", she stated, shaking her head.

"Aye and I bet the lad will be good at it, he has potential", Moody quipped gleefully.

"More than you know", Remus sighed.

The conversation did not go any further however as Tonks burst into the room, breathing heavily.

"Harry's been kidnapped", She announced, clutching her side gingerly.

"What happened?", Dumbledore asked frantically, standing immediately.

"I was outside on guard duty when I saw a red spell through the window, by the time I got there Harry and all of his things were gone", Tonks explained hurriedly.

"The boy has clearly run away", Snape drawled, not at all concerned.

"I know what I saw Snape", Tonks answered heatedly.

Dumbledore ignored the quarreling pair and called for Fawkes to take him to Harry's home instantly.

It was less than 30 minutes later that Dumbledore returned looking very grave indeed. Harry had been kidnapped, there was no denying that fact but he could not quite understand how.

The wards were all still in tact and any that meant harm to the boy would not be able to enter the home but perhaps Tom had found a way, it was clear to the headmaster that Harry had not run away. He could sense the foreign magic though it was not particularly dark in nature.

He sat back at the table and looked towards the Order members who were staring at him expectantly.

He sighed before he spoke.

"Harry has indeed been kidnapped", he informed them. "Though it cannot have been done by any that mean him harm, of that I am sure", he finished confidently.

"What do we do?", Tonks asked, feeling a little guilty that it had happened on her watch.

"Severus, I will need you to confirm that Harry has not been taken by Tom", he instructed the greasy-haired man who sneered but nodded his obedience. "The rest of you will make any and all inquiries you can, it is paramount that we find him", he explained urgently.

With that the assembled members exited the hall to carry out their tasks.

"Please be safe my boy", Dumbledore whispered pleadingly.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry awoke and found himself bound to a chair. It took him a moment or two to be able to think coherently and he sighed when the memory of what happened surfaced.

"Good evening Mr. Potter", a voice greeted him.

Harry shook his head irritably at being captured so easily, he knew he should have been more vigilant, though he had been assured he was safe.

"Why don't you just take me to Tom and let's get it over with", he suggested, being in no mood to prolong the inevitable.

"Who the bloody hell is Tom?", another voice questioned angrily causing Harry to smirk slightly.

He knew that he should probably be afraid, but he wasn't for reasons unknown to him. He knew that it was going to come to an end between himself and Riddle but he had not expected it to be so soon.

Harry chuckled darkly before answering.

"Your master", he said simply. "Don't tell me that you didn't know he is a half-blood", he sighed amusedly. "His name is Tom Riddle, his father was a muggle" he added.

"Are you sure they only stunned him?", the first voice asked, completely ignoring what Harry had said.

"They did", the second voice confirmed.

"Mr. Potter I do not know who Tom Riddle is, we did not bring you here to discuss that, I apologise that it had to be done this way but we had to be quick", the first voice explained.

"Then who the bloody hell are you?", Harry asked irritably.

The first man chuckled as Harry finally looked towards them.

"My name is Clarence Croaker, I am the head of the Department of Mysteries", he explained.

"Oh, shit", Harry muttered, knowing that this was going to be bad.

"Shit indeed", Croaker agreed with a nod. "You have given us a rather large headache over the past month" he informed the teen casually.

"Look, I'm sorry for what happened, I'll even pay for the damage we did", Harry tried, just wanting this to be over.

"No, No, Mr. Potter, that is not what this is about", Croaker responded ruefully.

"Then what do you want with me?", Harry asked worriedly.

Croaker sighed.

"It seems as though we find ourselves in a position where we must help each other out", he replied reluctantly. "Though the amount of help we give you will depend on your cooperation", he added seriously.

"What can I do to help you?", Harry questioned confusedly. "I'm just a teenager", he reminded them.

"You can help us by giving us the contents of the prophecy you took", the second man cut in.

"I can't", Harry replied firmly.

"You will", the other man returned hotly. "Or I will take it from your mind", he threatened, drawing his wand.

"Stand down Filmore", Croaker commanded before turning his attention back to Harry.

"Mr. Potter we need to find a way to build some trust between us", he sighed. "How about I explain what we need from you and then you share with us everything you can willingly and then we go from there, either way you will help us but it will be much easier on yourself if you do it voluntarily, we will give you all the help you need", he offered. "I assure you we are on the same side", he added sincerely.

From what Harry understood of the situation he had little choice in the matter. He could either cooperate with the men and take the offered help or he could refuse and be mind raped by Filmore, something that was not pleasant, as he knew from experience.

"Ok", he conceded. "What do you need my help with?", he asked uncertainly.

"Good man", Croaker answered, clearly relieved. "Would you like a drink, this could take a while?", he asked.

"Water please", Harry replied, feeling a little parched.

Croaker conjured a glass and filled it with water before passing it to Harry. He then became contemplative for a few moments deciding where it was best to start.

"Tell me Mr. Potter, how many people do you share your dormitory with at Hogwarts?", he questioned.

Harry frowned at the unexpected question.

"There are 5 of us altogether", he answered confusedly.

"There were twenty in mine", Croaker returned. "What does that tell you?", he questioned further.

"That there are less witches and wizards than there used to be", Harry concluded after a moment.

"Exactly", Croaker agreed. "Why do you think that is?", he inquired.

"Because of the war?", Harry asked.

"Mostly yes but it runs deeper than that", Croaker responded.

Harry again looked confused causing Croaker to sigh.

"What do you know about the pureblood families of Britain?", he asked.

"Nothing really", Harry shrugged. "I was raised by muggles", he explained.

Croaker nodded his understanding.

"Well, before the last war there were around 220 pureblood families", he began knowingly. "At the conclusion of the war in 1981 there were only 50 left and now there are only 43", he explained. "The families were wiped out in service to Voldemort and by his followers if they refused to join him", he elaborated. "What have you noticed about the attitude that pureblood's have towards half-blood's and muggleborn's", he questioned.

"They don't like us mostly", Harry surmised. "They look down on us and think they are better", he concluded.

"Exactly, that means that they tend to marry only other purebloods which, with so few families left, is a real problem", he finished gravely.

"How so?", Harry asked, becoming genuinely interested in the conversation.

"With so few families left the pureblood's are now inbreeding and producing more squibs than ever", Croaker began. "But that in itself is only half the problem", he sighed.

"Then what is it?", Harry asked with a frown.

"Muggleborn bloodlines only seem to last a generation or two themselves if they have children together", Croaker explained. "They need pure magical blood to maintain what they are given, we don't completely understand why, but that is how it works", he finished with a shrug.

"I'm sorry but what has that got to do with me?", Harry questioned.

"The truth is Mr. Potter, irreversible damage has already been done to our kind, it is only a matter of time before we die out and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it, especially with another war on the horizon, there is simply no way that we will survive any longer than a few more generations at best" he explained.

"I still don't understand what that has to do with me", Harry responded , shaking his head.

"That is why we need the contents of the prophecy, I know that it pertains to yourself and the Dark Lord", Croaker said knowingly.

Harry sighed and rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Ok, answer me this", Croaker tried. "Does it say that it is only you that can kill him?", he asked.

"It says that one of us must die at the hands of the other", Harry admitted reluctantly.

Croaker sunk back in his chair looking more than a little relieved.

"Ok, that means we can definitely use this to our advantage", he exclaimed to Filmore, who nodded reluctantly. "Mr. Potter, we need you", Croaker said simply. "If our kind is to continue living then we need your help", he reiterated seriously.

"You said that it was irreversible", Harry pointed out.

"It is irreversible now", Croaker concurred. "But it only became that way in the years of 1978 to 1981 when most of the casualties of war happened after Barty Crouch signed the papers giving the Auror's the authority to kill", he explained.

Harry let what had been said be absorbed before he broke out in laughter in realisation.

"You are talking about sending me back in time", he stated disbelievingly. "I know for a fact that you can only go back a few hours with a time turner", he said knowingly and continued laughing.

"We are deadly serious Potter", Filmore cut in irritably causing Harry to curb his laughter.

"You're not joking?", he asked weakly.

"No", Croaker confirmed sternly. "You will be able to kill the Dark Lord before the damage to us all is done and save many lives in the process", he explained.

"But I'm not good enough to kill him", Harry stated bluntly.

"We will train you before you go", Croker assured him. "Filmore, fetch Mr. Potter's Hogwarts transcript", he commanded.

Filmore left the room to carry out his orders, though he did not seem too happy.

"You are an orphan", Croaker stated after his companion had left. "This opportunity will give you a chance to save your parents and even get to know them", he added.

Harry's head snapped up at that declaration.

"We are going to send you back to 1976, you will be the same age as them, going into your 6th year at Hogwarts", Croaker explained.

"But I will be older by the time we are ready to send me back", Harry pointed out.

"That is where you are wrong", Croaker informed him sounding a little excited. "Follow me", he requested, unbinding Harry from the chair.

The duo left the room and Croaker led him down a familiar hallway and into another room, pausing as they entered.

"Do you recognise this room?", he asked Harry.

"Kind of", Harry answered uncertainly looking around the large empty space.

"This used to be the room in which we studied time", Croaker explained.

"Used to be?", Harry questioned

"Yes, that was until you and your friends destroyed all of our time turners", Croaker responded. "That is why Filmore is rather hostile towards you, this was his room and he is more than a little envious".

"I am sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen", Harry said genuinely. "Why would he be jealous?", he asked curiously.

Croaker led him to one of the walls and pointed at it.

Harry looked and saw that there was a grainy substance coating it.

"Yourself and your friend's inadvertently created something rather spectacular" Croaker explained with a smile.

"Huh?", Harry asked dumbly.

"This grain is actually the sand you would find within a time turner", Croaker began. "Somehow you have created a space that time does not pass in, as incredulous as that sounds it is true", he affirmed seriously.

"How did it happen?", Harry whispered in awe.

"Honestly, we have no idea", Croaker shrugged. "We only discovered it after the clean up here began, one of our men walked in and seemingly came straight back out, though he claimed he had been in the room for several hours cleaning. After checking and seeing that the room was indeed clean, we managed to confirm it", he explained, clearly being confused himself by the room. "We will use this room to train you and then the room itself will be used to send you back, the mechanism needed is being constructed as we speak", he finished.

Harry just nodded his head, not completely understanding everything that had been said. In truth his mind was focused on the prospect of seeing his parents and Sirius alive. That was when he was hit by a sudden thought.

"How will I get back here when I'm done", he asked worriedly.

Croaker sighed and led Harry from the room and back to the one they had begun in. He gestured for Harry to take a seat before explaining his thoughts.

"There is no coming back Mr. Potter", he said bluntly. "This timeline will no longer exist as you know it the moment you leave", he added.

"What will happen here then?", Harry asked, swallowing deeply.

"We can't be sure but we believe that this timeline will change to reflect the outcome of what happens and what you achieve after you go back, though we will not be aware of it. You will simply not exist here as you are now and we will have no memory of any of this, we think", he reiterated firmly.

"So I go and never get to see my friends again", Harry whispered.

"It is a necessary sacrifice I am afraid", Croaker said sympathetically. "That is why I need you to cooperate with us, we want to help you make it as easy as possible, the fact is Mr. Potter you are going back either way, but we want to give you the best chance we can", he explained. "The bright side is you will get to know your parent's and have a life with them in some way should you be successful", he finished in an attempt to liven up Harry's mood.

Harry sighed sadly but nodded; it was better than nothing.

"Doesn't that mean I will have to change my name?", he asked dejectedly.

Croaker smiled.

"Oh, that is where you are very much mistaken Mr. Potter, you will be going back as yourself, there is a family there already that I know for a fact will be delighted to have you", he spoke seriously.

"Who?", Harry asked confusedly.

"Your own of course", Croaker responded. "Charlus and Dorea will take you in without hesitation as soon as they understand who you are", he added confidently.

"Charlus and Dorea?", Harry asked confusedly.

"You grandparent's", Croaker said with a frown.

"And how do I explain it to them, to my father?", Harry questioned. "He will be the same age as me", he pointed out. "And won't everyone know that they only have one child already?".

"Your family are famous for their secrets", Croaker explained dismissively. "It would not be much of a shock to anyone that Charlus and Dorea kept a secret like this they were extremely private after all, I'm sure you will be able to come up with a suitable explanation between you all", he finished.

Harry just nodded even though he was not entirely convinced.

"What do I say to them all, my Dad especially?", he questioned weakly.

"You tell them the truth, every last bit of it, it will not do you well to hide anything or lie to them", Croaker instructed.

Seeing that Harry was reluctant, he sighed before continuing.

"The most trusted man of the time was Dumbledore", he began. "He will be able to verify who you are and he will be able to help you with them, I suggest you seek him out first", he advised.

Harry nodded, feeling marginally better. If anyone would believe him, it would be Dumbledore.

"Wait, did you know my grandparent's?", Harry questioned hopefully.

"I met Charlus on several occasions when I was an Auror, but I did not know him well, he was a good man and will do the right thing, you are his family after all, something he took seriously above all else", Croaker explained confidently.

Harry nodded, a feeling of excitement beginning to swell within him at the thought of having a family, something he had never lost the desire or hope for.

The door opened, ceasing any further conversation as Filmore came back in, handed Croaker a file and stood arms folded, glaring at Harry.

"I'm sorry about your room", Harry said sincerely to the man.

"You will be", Filmore growled in reply.

The two were interrupted by a cough coming from Croaker who was looking at Harry, shaking his head.

"I find myself disappointed", he intoned, gesturing towards the file.

"Why?", Harry asked hesitantly.

"I certainly expected much more from you Mr. Potter, it seems as though you will need much more help than we thought", he explained handing the folder to him.

Harry flicked through the file that contained his academic records, even his OWL results and frowned.

"They aren't that bad", he stated after he had read through them.

"Most are average, your saving grace seems to be defense and charms, but you clearly need a lot of work on everything and perhaps you can re-sit some before you go, these results will not sit well with Charlus and Dorea", he warned.

Harry nodded his agreement, he knew he could have done better in school.

"I am better than that", Harry conceded.

Filmore snatched up the folder and looked through the contents before shaking his head.

"We are wasting our time on him", he declared angrily.

"We have discussed this", Croaker retorted irritably. "I agree that Divination is a very sketchy subject but we can't risk not trying this", he pointed out. "We both know that some prophecies are and have been real, we have to trust him", he finished warningly.

"He is pathetic", Filmore responded hotly. "The results speak for themselves, he has no chance", he ground out slamming the folder on the table in disgust.

"I can do better", Harry cut in, getting very annoyed by Filmore.

"I'll be the judge of that", Filmore stated as he pointed his wand at Harry. _"Legilimens",_ he roared.

Harry watched in Horror as his whole life seemingly flashed before his eyes as the man intruded and rifled through his memories.

He witnessed every key moment of his life pass: receiving his Hogwarts letter, the troll in the dungeon, the fight with Quirrel, the episode in the chamber of secrets, saving Sirius from the Dementors, the entirety of fourth year and the confrontation with Voldemort in the graveyard and finally the night he and his friends had spent in the department of Mysteries.

The man exited Harry's mind as quickly as he entered, looking both pale and shocked by what he had seen.

"Shit", Filmore whispered in disbelief and looked at Harry with something akin to respect. "It seems as though I underestimated you Potter", he admitted.

"He has potential?", Croaker asked, clearly not approving of his colleague's methods.

"See for yourself", he answered weakly.

Croaker immediately knew that what Filmore had seen must be something quite spectacular to garner that kind of response from him.

"May I?", he questioned Harry.

Harry swallowed deeply and nodded reluctantly.

Croaker repeated the process that Filmore had and emerged looking equally surprised, yet happy.

"My, My Mr. Potter, you do have potential, these results certainly do not reflect your capabilities", he spoke seriously. "Are you satisfied that he is capable now?" he questioned Filmore sternly.

Filmore nodded.

"I've never seen anything like it before", he stated, sounding a little excited. "Myself and my team will turn him into the best damned wizard we can", he vowed.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, pleased that they did not think he was a waste of their time.

"Don't get too excited Potter", Filmore warned. "I am going to make your life hell", he said with a sinister grin.

Harry swallowed deeply but nodded nonetheless.

"So we have an agreement?", Croaker questioned Harry. "We will help you and you will cooperate with us?" he asked further.

After a moment Harry nodded; he knew he had very little choice in the matter. He ether went back prepared, or went back as he was, it was a no brainer for him.

"Good, here is your wand", Croaker said with a smile, handing Harry his wand.

Harry sighed but took it.

"I need a new one", he explained.

"It seems fine to me", Croaker replied with a frown.

"Dumbledore thinks I've outgrown it or something", Harry explained further.

Croaker nodded his understanding.

"We will have a wandcrafter here first thing", he promised. "Filmore will show you to your room where you trunks are waiting", he explained. "You have a rather enviable book collection I noticed and where did you get so much gold from?" he queried curiously.

Harry just stared at the man in shock not knowing what to say.

"Don't worry Mr. Potter, we are not the Auror's", Croaker chuckled. "I very much approve of the reading you are doing, it shows that you are being proactive, I respect that" he explained in a placating manner. "But the gold, I do not understand", he added confusedly.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the news that he was not in trouble.

"I thought I might need the money if things go badly", he explained. "I found a few things worth something and had some elves sell it", he added. "I don't have my Gringotts key and wasn't allowed to leave my home", he finished with a frown.

Filmore chuckled.

"Resourceful little bastard", he praised approvingly.

"Very resourceful indeed", Croaker agreed. "It saves us the problem of taking you to Gringotts to get some for yourself, you will of course need it for when you go back, just in case", he explained. "I am afraid that you will not be able to leave here though Mr. Potter, we cannot risk anyone finding out that you are here".

"But Dumbledore will come looking for me", Harry pointed out.

"He will never know you are here", Croaker responded seriously. "Now I suggest you get some rest, Filmore and his team have a knack for early starts", he advised.

Harry bade farewell to the man, his head swimming with everything he had learned this evening, but one thought stood out above them all.

'I get to see my parent's and Sirius' he thought gleefully as he followed Filmore to get some much needed sleep.

 **A/N**

 **First one done and I am quite proud of how original I believe it is. I wanted to deal with the horcruxes and wand situation as quickly as possible. The wand thing always bothered me in canon, it is just logical that you would get one that you could use to kill Voldemort instead of relying on Priori Incantatem.**

 **The horcruxes will be completely non-existent after the next chapter, it will of course be explained.**

 **I am very excited by the amount of possibilities I have running through my mind with this one and I hope and I'm sure that you will enjoy it.**

 **I imagine it will be longer than 'Honour Thy Blood' mainly because Harry is not only going back in time which, in itself needs a lot of building, but he is going back to Hogwarts and he did not in my previous story.**

 **Follow, favourite and review guys.**

 **TBR**


	2. Making The Jump

**A/N**

 **I will very much be forgoing the training montages but it will be summarized sufficiently. I want to move on to the point where Harry is in the past as quickly as possible because that is where the story will really begin.**

 **If anything is unclear then please do message me and I will do my best to explain it, though it will all become much simpler after this chapter, well probably half way through this one as Harry meets Dumbledore and his family.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 2: Making The Jump

Harry found himself jogging around the large time room as he had every morning for the past two and a half months, a time that he could only describe as his own person hell.

Filmore had been very much true to his word and had personally seen to it that Harry had been pushed as far as humanly possible, usually resulting in the teen vomiting and even passing out occasionally from the sheer amount of physical strain put upon him.

Though only 10 weeks had passed it had in actuality been 15 weeks for Harry as he would spend 12 hours a day, every day without fail, in the time room being tutored in everything imaginable to become the best wizard he possibly could.

Even after the time in the room was up, the day had only just begun. It was during this time that Croaker had insisted he did his own studying and even gave the boy lessons on the era he would be going to, to ensure he was able to conduct himself accordingly and blend in so that none would become suspicious of him. Much to his dismay, he had even been forced to continue with Occlumency lessons so he could defend his mind from any attempts to intrude upon it. He was pleased however that the lessons with Filmore were much more pleasant and instructive than those with Snape ever were and he even managed to become competent in the art, though he knew he would never been an expert in the field.

His day would begin in the same fashion with Filmore waking him using a liberal amount of stinging hexes to motivate the teen. He would then be forced to run, and exercise until he dropped before he was allowed to have breakfast.

After he had eaten and barely had time to recuperate his magical tuition would begin where he would learn all manner of spells that would be useful to him in a fight, whether they be charms, transfiguration or curses that would give him the best chance possible to not only survive, but be successful.

After this portion of the day he would be made to sit and begin studying the theory behind the spells he would be learning the next day for a few hours, something he was very grateful for as he would finally get a rest and could recover sufficiently before the real hardships would begin.

Once this time was up he would then spend several hours dueling members of Filmore's team, of none he was ever allowed to learn their identity.

What he did know however was that these people were very good fighters, something he learnt the hard way as the first month had passed with him constantly being bested and cursed repeatedly until he caught up to their ability. It was only his natural aptitude and the way he was continuously pushed to his full potential that even made this possible, and though he would curse the name Filmore constantly, he was pleased with the progress he was making under the tutelage of these people.

Something undeniable about Harry Potter was that he was, as both Filmore and Croaker believed and witnessed as time went by, an extremely gifted wizard.

The two men had thrown everything they could at him, pushed him to his absolute limits, but the boy did not have an ounce of quit in him, something that they became very proud of as his training progressed.

After the first month had passed they couldn't be any more pleased with the results they were having. The boy had learnt to apparate with ease and had taken everything they had been teaching him on board, even requesting more and more help. The teen had a hunger, a hunger that never seemed to be satisfied, no matter how hard and far they pushed him.

It was clear to them that he was dedicated to the cause and it gave them both hope that he would be successful. He had even retaken his potions, charms, transfiguration, History of Magic and care of magical creatures exams early on in the second month here and had vastly improved his grades, attaining an O in all but charms in transfiguration where he attained an O+, much to the delight of Croaker.

The two men had even offered him the chance to better his grades in Astronomy and Divination but Harry had flat out refused to waste time studying for those, it had been difficult enough to convince him to retake History of Magic so the duo were happy to allow him to drop the subjects.

Yes, Harry Potter had had a very difficult time of it, but after he had become accustomed to the new and exhaustive schedule he faced, he both excelled and thrived in the environment, though the start of the work had been more than surprising for them all.

 _Flashback_

Harry was startled awake as a stinging hex collided with the meat of his thigh and he was unceremoniously dragged out of bed by his feet.

"Move you arse Potter, get running" Filmore roared, firing another hex at the teen.

Harry yelped in shock but immediately complied and found his route being laid out for him as Filmore continued to fire hexes his way, chasing him towards the time room.

He entered the room and was already out of breath as Filmore came in behind him, clearly not impressed with the young man.

"You will be spending as much time in here as necessary until you are competent Potter, is that understood?" he demanded.

Harry nodded.

"I didn't hear you" Filmore growled irritably.

"Yes" Harry answered hotly.

"Yes, sir" Filmore snarled and hit Harry with another hex. "Now drop and give me twenty" he commanded.

""Yes, sir" Harry shouted in reply and dropped to his stomach to carry out the task.

Filmore nodded approvingly and waited for Harry to finish before he explained the schedule he would be following.

Harry listened as the man informed of what his days would be like and felt exhausted just from the description. He knew it would be more of a challenge than he could comprehend but he would push himself to be better, he had to be better and he wanted it more than anything.

"We will begin the schedule first thing tomorrow, we have to get your wand situation dealt with and we will see what you are capable of today" Filmore explained.

"Yes, sir" Harry responded immediately, not wanting to be hexed again.

Filmore grinned.

"You learn quickly Potter, you'll need to here" he stated knowingly. "Now follow me" he instructed.

Harry followed Filmore into the room his interrogation had been conducted in the previous night to find Croaker and another older man waiting for them.

"I hope you slept well Mr. Potter" Croaker greeted him with a smile. "This is Mr. Tobin, he will be crafting your wand for you, don't worry he is a very discreet man" he explained.

Harry just nodded.

"Take a seat boy" Tobin instructed in a very gruff voice.

Harry complied and looked at the man properly for the first time.

He was old though Harry suspected he was not as old as he looked as his eyes contained a very youthful glint within them. His hair was dark grey and the aforementioned eyes were near black, full of intelligence and penetrating, though not in a disturbing and intrusive way.

"May I ask what is wrong with your current wand?" Tobin inquired.

"I think I may have outgrown it" Harry sighed. "It gets very hot when I cast spells and it just doesn't work as easy as it used to", he explained.

"Hmm, may I see it?" the man asked with curiosity.

Harry removed the wand from his sleeve and handed it to the man who inspected every detail of it and even placed it to his ear, seemingly listening for something. He then drew his own wand and began casting several spells at it and finally smiling triumphantly when he had finished.

"Tell me boy, have you been disarmed or had your wand taken from you by force recently?" Tobin questioned.

"No" Harry answered confidently with a shake of his head.

"Interesting" Tobin mused. "Well you have outgrown the wand that is clear, it should not however grow hot when you cast with it, a wand will only do so when it recognises another as its master" he explained.

"But the wand chose me I've had it since I was 11" Harry responded sadly.

"Very curious" Tobin whispered. "If you have not had your wand taken from you forcefully then it must have a brother somewhere, the master of that wand will be the master of this" he deduced confidently.

Harry swallowed deeply at the realisation.

"Voldemort" he whispered.

"Excuse me?" Croaker asked with a frown.

Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes irritably.

"Voldemort has the brother wand to mine it's the same core from the same phoenix" he answered.

Croaker and Filmore shared a look of surprise while Tobin looked at Harry through narrowed eyes.

"The likelihood of two brother wands coming into contact is extremely low" he began. "Given the history between yourself and the Dark Lord I would say that there is more to it than just that" he continued shaking his head. "Has anything out of the ordinary happened between the two of you?" he questioned.

Harry swallowed again and nodded reluctantly.

"We used to share a connection, but since he possessed me my scar has faded and I've had no visions of what he is doing" Harry answered truthfully.

"What kind of connection?" Croaker cut in with a frown.

"I don't know" Harry admitted. "I used to be able to see him torturing and murdering people, it used to happen when he was angry, but Snape tried to teach me occlumency to block it out" he explained. "But it didn't help at all" he finished.

The three older men looked at one another before Croaker spoke.

"Go and fetch Sandy" he instructed Filmore who left immediately.

"Mr. Potter, connections like that simply do not exist and if you could not stop them through occlumency then the problem was not from outside, it must have been from within yourself" he said seriously. "Sandy is our expert in obscure magic and the best in her field, she will be able to figure out what it is" he added confidently. "Mr. Tobin we can resume this tomorrow if you have other things to do, I apologise for this unexpected outcome" he finished sincerely.

"It is quite alright, I am rather curious to see this through, it is not often an anomaly like this surfaces" Tobin replied happily.

"Of course you are welcome to stay, it may be useful after all, you are a very smart man in your own right" Croaker praised.

It was around 5 minutes later that Filmore returned with a short, bespectacled woman in tow.

"This had better be good Clarence I am very busy" she growled irritably.

"Sandy this is Mr. Potter" he introduced the teen. "We need you expertise on a matter" he informed her.

The woman turned and looked towards Harry with a raised eyebrow before speaking.

"What is it you need?" she asked reluctantly.

Croaker went on to explain everything that Harry had told him and the woman listened with rapt attention.

"So you see, we are rather stumped" Croaker finished.

The woman said nothing for a few moments, clearly lost in her own thoughts.

"Mr. Potter, do you have any abilities that you cannot account for?" she asked.

"I'm a parselmouth" Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore thinks Tom passed the gift on to me" he explained.

"I'm sorry, Tom?" Sandy questioned confusedly.

"Oh, that's Voldemort's real name, Tom Riddle" Harry answered.

"How do you know this?" Croaker asked.

"He told me himself and Dumbledore knows, he used to teach him" Harry shrugged.

"It's irrelevant right now" Sandy cut in. "Can you still speak it?" she asked warily.

"Yes, Dumbledore already checked" Harry confirmed growing a little nervous.

"I see" Sandy mused.

As quick as a flash she drew her wand and bound Harry to the chair so that he couldn't move.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter but if it is what I think then you could be very dangerous to us" she explained urgently.

"What is it?" Croaker asked worriedly.

Sandy sighed before answering.

"There are only two things that I know of that can explain what you have said, and possession is one of them" she began darkly. "It can't be that because you said yourself that the man possessed him and he fought him off, that leaves only one thing" she finished with a shake of her head.

"What?" Croaker demanded impatiently.

"Well the fact that occlumency didn't stop any of the problems and his wand has just suddenly stopped working, I believe that we are dealing with a Horcrux" she said ruefully.

The three men in the room noticeably paled and looked at Harry warily.

"Are you sure?" Croaker choked in disbelief.

"Almost certain, but it is easy to find out" She explained confidently. "Mr. Potter I need you to hold still and be as calm as possible" she requested softly.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, clearly fearful.

"I will explain in a moment" Sandy promised. "I just need you to trust me" she implored.

Harry swallowed deeply and nodded.

Sandy began casting several spells on him and finished with the one that Dumbledore himself had used on Harry in which his head felt as though it was swelling from within.

"Unbelievable" she whispered in awe when she was finished.

"What is it?" Croaker demanded.

"Hold on a moment Clarence" Sandy retorted.

She then moved Harry's fringe aside and glanced at what remained of his scar.

"Has it always been this faded?" she asked seriously.

Harry shook his head.

"It used to be a lot darker and would give me constant headaches" he explained as calmly as possible. "It even used to bleed sometimes" he added.

"I think we can certainly expect great things from you" she whispered and gave him a smile.

"Will you bloody well explain now?" Filmore cut in heatedly.

Sandy just raised her eyebrow at him before she spoke.

"It's gone" She confirmed simply. "Merlin knows how but it's gone and Mr. Potter is very much completely in tact which is a damned miracle" She finished seriously.

"What do you mean?" Croaker asked.

"The boy had 50% of Voldemort's soul trapped within him, it's unfathomable to even think that he could fight off that man for over 15 years subconsciously" She explained.

"How the hell is that even possible?" Filmore asked. "It should have completely taken over him" he added knowingly.

"Mr. Potter must be a very exceptional wizard, most people are not even as half as powerful as the man yet he fought him off, I assume that when he possessed the boy the soul fragment simply left with him, even though I'm sure he created it completely by accident" she explained. "No wizard in their right mind would create one like that on purpose" she spoke assuredly.

"So it is gone?" Croaker asked.

"Yes" Sandy reiterated. "And unless he has created more since his return then there are no more" she elaborated with certainty.

The three men all sighed in relief.

"Will someone please explain what just happened?" Harry demanded irritably.

"It is not at all important Mr. Potter" Croaker assured him. "We just had to be safe, but we do know why your wand won't work for you, it should never have been yours in the first place" he stated, getting a nod of agreement from Tobin.

"You should consider yourself very lucky Mr. Potter" Sandy cut in. "There are very few that could survive what you have" she explained darkly.

"Are you saying that I had half of Voldemort's soul inside me?" he asked the woman worriedly.

"You did, but it is certainly not there anymore" she answered. "I look forward to seeing what you are capable of" she added before bidding her colleague's farewell and leaving.

"Shall we get on?" Tobin asked after a moment.

"Indeed" Croaker responded, unbinding Harry from his chair.

Harry was confused about everything that had happened and put it to the back of his mind to think on later. He had understood the basic principle of what had been said, he just did not understand how it had happened, and knew he never probably would.

"Pass me your wand arm" Tobin requested, cutting in to his thoughts.

Harry snapped out of his reverie and complied. He watched while the man measured his arm and began jotting down notes.

He then pulled out several shrunken trunks from his pocket and began restoring them to their original size before popping each on open with a flick of his wand.

"Firstly, we will ascertain what core suits you" he explained. "Just place your hand in the trunk and feel for the one that is right, your magic will tell you" he elaborated.

Harry just nodded and stuck his hand in the trunk feeling several phials within it.

He frowned when he felt nothing and shook his head at the man.

"Interesting" Tobin mused. "Try the next one" he instructed pointing to another trunk.

When Harry got the same results the man frowned.

"You are a challenge Mr. Potter, but there is another way" he explained. "I need a small vial of your blood, if you will" he requested, gesturing for Harry to pass him his hand.

Harry sighed but offered the man his hand nonetheless. Ever since the night in the graveyard with Tom he had been protective of his own blood and was not entirely happy to give it up.

Tobin drew his wand across Harry's palm, cutting shallowly into the flesh to fill the small vial, sealing the cut once more when he had finished.

"This will take a few minutes, why don't you try the wood" he suggested pointing to the largest of the trunks.

Harry nodded and made his way over immediately feeling something drawing him within the large container.

He placed his hand inside and removed small block of wood that was jet black in appearance and it shined slightly in the light of the room.

He could still feel something drawing him to the box and reached back in, these time removing a wood that was dark purple, though it was considerably lighter than the first.

He made his way back Tobin and placed the pieces on the table causing the man's eyebrow's to raise slightly.

"Both of them?" he asked to which Harry nodded.

"Ebony and Purple heart" he stated with a nod. "Then I imagine you will require two cores" he added with a light frown. "Let us see" he finished, turning his attention back to the vial of blood that was gently swirling above the table.

Harry waited patiently for the man to be ready and watched as his blood changed colours and seemed to form into miniaturized liquid creatures within the glass.

After a few more minutes had passed it stopped and the vial descended down and rested on top of the table once more.

Tobin immediately picked it up and inspected it, giving a satisfied nod.

"Interesting, very interesting indeed" he mused. "The first core we need is the hair of a Thestral, something I have never used in a wand before" he explained. "It will be very interesting to see how it works" he added more to himself.

"Why have you never used it?" Harry asked curiously.

"Thestrals are rather complex creatures" Tobin began. "They live in herds, yet are still rather independent but very protective of their own kind and can be very dangerous, I imagine that you share those characteristics" he surmised confidently.

Harry just nodded his agreement, it did sound rather like him.

"The next core is even more interesting, and will be very costly indeed to obtain" Tobin answered thoughtfully.

"Even more interesting?" Croaker cut in.

"Yes, the heartstring of a Ukrainian Ironbelly" Tobin responded seriously.

"But they are extinct" Croaker replied with a frown.

"There are some parts still on the market" Tobin said dismissively.

"What's a Ukrainian Ironbelly? A dragon?" Harry guessed.

"It is", Croaker answered. "Perhaps the most dangerous breed to ever exist as proven by the fact that it was purposely hunted into extinction at the end of the last century" he informed the teen.

"Also know as the silent inferno" Tobin cut in. "They were enormous when they could be seen but they hid well and a single one could reduce a village to ash in only seconds, they were completely ruthless if provoked but were rather placid until they hunted" he finished expertly, giving Harry a very calculating look.

Harry's eyebrows rose at the description and he waited for the man to continue.

"I know of a place I can get what I need but it will cost around 10,000 galleons" he informed them.

"I have the money" Harry replied instantly.

Tobin nodded.

"Ok, I will fetch what we need and will return shortly" he responded.

Harry left the room and collected the required amount of gold for the man and handed the large bag to him.

"Your wand will be the most costly and perhaps one of the most difficult I have ever created Mr. Potter" Tobin explained with a smile. "I am rather looking forward to the challenge" he added before leaving the room.

"Well, as we have a little bit of time, why don't we get you checked over by our medical team" Croaker suggested. "We need you to be as healthy as possible" he concluded seriously.

Harry sighed but nodded his agreement.

It was around two hours later that a thoroughly fed up Harry Potter returned to the room after being poked, prodded and finally deemed medically fit to find Mr. Tobin adding the finishing touches to his wand.

"Ahh, Mr. Potter" the man greeted him rather jovially. "I shall be with you in a moment" he explained.

Harry waited patiently for the man to be finished. When he was he gestured for the teen to join him, with a very anticipatory look on his face.

Harry approached the man and saw that there were two identical wands on the table in front of him, both shiny black in colour with purple streaks spread vertically throughout the shaft.

"It's illegal to own two wands" Harry pointed out, having read the laws of wand carrying in the book Dobby had gotten for him.

"Are you planning on telling the Auror's?" Tobin asked with a raised eyebrow. "You should always have a spare, just in case" he said firmly.

Harry just shrugged and picked up one of the wands immediately feeling its compatibility to himself as a powerful wave of warmth spread throughout him.

"I had to fuse the two woods together using amethyst, I chose it as it would be less noticeable than any other stone I could have used, as you can see it blends perfectly with the purple heart" he explained proudly.

Harry had to admit that it was rather beautiful and even the purple appealed to him in a strange way.

"Well, give it a try" Tobin instructed impatiently.

Harry took a deep breath and thought about the prospect of seeing his parents alive and basked in the feeling of anticipation that enveloped him.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he whispered.

Immediately Prongs erupted from his wand as clear and as bright as Harry had ever seen him, causing the teen to smile.

"Very impressive indeed Mr. Potter" Tobin praised as he looked upon the patronus in awe. "I assume we have been successful?" he asked hopefully.

Harry smiled and nodded at the man as he let the stag dissipate into nothingness.

"How much do I owe you?" he inquired.

"Only 10 more galleons" Tobin answered.

Harry gave him 50 and the man looked at him questionably.

"You've been here all day" Harry reminded him. "For loss of possible business" he added, gesturing to the bag.

"That is very kind of you Mr. Potter" the man said gratefully. "Ah, you will need holsters for them", he pointed out with a nod.

Tobin reached in to one of the trunks and removed two black holsters and handed them to Harry.

"Hebridean Black hide" he explained. "I'm sure Mr. Croaker will explain how they work".

"Thank you, for everything" Harry replied offering the man his hand.

"It has been a pleasure Mr. Potter, do look after them well, they are rather spectacular creations" he returned as he shook the teen's hand. "Croaker" he added with a nod as he begun shrinking his trunks and pocketing them before leaving the room.

"Now Mr. Potter, I believe that Filmore is waiting for you in the time room" Croaker spoke, gesturing for Harry to lead the way.

The duo entered the room to find Filmore and three other people in dark grey cloaks waiting for them.

"It's about time Potter" Filmore growled. "These are the people, along with myself, who will be training you" he explained with a malevolent grin. "Their names are unimportant but they are the best we have and you will have to be better than damn good to even come close to matching them, got it?" he demanded.

"Yes, sir" Harry answered smartly.

Filmore nodded his approval.

"Now, let us see what you are really made of" he stated with his eyes narrowed at the teen.

What followed was Harry being put through his paces over the next several hours as he was instructed to cast many different types of spells and curses, many of which he had learnt recently from his books.

It did take him a while to adjust to it, but Filmore insisted he used all of his spells non-verbally and would hit him with a stinging hex if he failed at any point, something that certainly motivated the teen to get it right.

He was finally happy to have a wand that was obeying him and the spells left his wand much more readily than they had and the effects of the various curses and hexes he used were much more powerful than they ever had been.

The biggest improvement he noticed was in his blasting and cutting spells that simply obliterated and tore the dummies he was using to shreds, impressing all of those that were watching and taking notes on his performance.

Finally after demonstrating his patronus to them all he was instructed to stop, much to his relief.

The five people who had been evaluating him moved to the other side of the room to discuss their observations, leaving Harry to catch his breath.

The group came back around 20 minutes later and Filmore gave him a respectful nod while Croaker was looking very happy indeed.

"You have a hell of a lot of power" Filmore began. "You need work on your finesse and movement, but damn kid, you've got potential, how do you feel?" he asked.

"I did feel a little tired, but I'm ok now" Harry answered honestly.

"Damn" Filmore returned with a shake of his head. "That would have exhausted all of us, it will be interesting to see how much stamina we can build in you" he mused. "You're special kid, there's no doubt about it, we will see how far we can push you" he finished with a predatory grin.

"Well done Mr. Potter" Croaker praised. "Could you answer me one thing?" he asked.

"I will if I can" Harry agreed.

"Is there anything else in the prophecy that you think we need to know?" he questioned. "It might be important" he added.

"I think after all the help you have already given the least I can do is give you the contents, it's not like it will make any difference here anymore" he obliged.

"Thank you" Croaker said gratefully.

As promised Harry provided them with what the prophecy contained and they agreed that it pertained to himself and Voldemort but they did not understand what the power the Dark Lord knows not meant, though Filmore speculated that it might refer to the time travel, though none could be confident.

Both of the men agreed that Harry was his equal in both ability and power and that furthered Filmore's resolve to turn Harry into the best that he possibly could. That resolve would lead to the hellish weeks that Harry would endure, all in the name of saving the wizarding world, a much more noble cause than Dumbledore's greater good, Harry felt.

 _End Flashback_

So Harry's time here was now coming to an end, but Filmore had assured him that he had readied the teen as much as he could, the rest was now up to him.

He would have an additional two years at Hogwarts to improve even more so, something he was very much more than willing to do, especially since he had a room there ready and waiting for him to discover, somewhere that not even the marauder's knew about and a room would provide him with everything he could need to continue his journey of self-improvement.

He was feeling a little torn however and would have moments where he just wanted to go home or spend time with his friends, something he really did miss, but he knew and accepted that wasn't possible.

He would do his best to swallow the sadness that would fill him at the thought of never being able to see any of them again but he doubted that it would be a feeling that would ever truly subside. He would always miss them all in some way but hoped that in some form, he could see them again one day. But he would have to wait as time passes by for that to even become a possibility, years in fact, and even then it would not be the same.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was sat at his desk feeling defeated for the very first time in his long life.

He himself and every person possible had done all they could yet they had come up with noting in regards to the location of Harry Potter, much to the man and many other's dismay.

After weeks of investigating they had all simply drawn a blank. He had not been to Gringotts nor had he contacted anyone in any way. Albus Dumbledore was stumped.

He knew that it was not like Harry at all to run from his responsibilities and was still convinced that wherever Harry was, he was very much alive.

Severus had confirmed that Voldemort did not have the boy as he still had all of his most able followers attempting to locate the teen himself, and as yet had been equally unsuccessful as the order.

Remus had become inconsolable and more than desperate to find the son of his deceased friend, even having spent many nights in the darkest of places hoping to get a whisper of Harry's whereabouts, but to no avail.

Dumbledore himself had explored every possible avenue. Fawkes had not been able to locate the boy and he had even asked Dobby for help, who had bonded himself to the teen, but even the house elf could not find a trace of him.

The mystery of Harry Potter's disappearance was becoming very desperate indeed and Albus Dumbledore had run out of options. The only thing left for the headmaster was to wait and see if Harry would emerge, the outcome of the war hinged on the boy after all.

 _(BREAK)_

The day Harry had been working towards had finally arrived and he had no idea how he was feeling as his emotions were so mixed about the impending changes about to take place in his life.

He had accepted that he would be going but that did not make it any easier in his heart or his mind where he would carry memories and feelings for those that would no longer exist in the world.

He managed to hold himself together however as the prospect of seeing and getting to know his family had become the one beacon of hope he clung to desperately when the difficult emotions threatened to overcome him, though he would freely admit that he was very nervous about the whole upcoming ordeal.

He had finished packing his trunk and placed Hedwig back in her cage as he made his way to the time room to receive his final instructions and face the journey of no return.

He was pleased that he was able to bring along his feathered friend, Croaker had in fact insisted that he did as it would leave him with some form of connection to where he came from, a connection that was very much welcomed by the teen.

He had asked why it was him and him alone making the journey leading to a rather detailed explanation about the intricacies of the calculations that had been completed to ensure that the plan would a success.

In short, Harry only understood that the room would only be able to transport himself as it would only be able to send one person back that far. If another person was added into the equation then only half of the required time could be achieved and so on.

According to Croaker Hedwig did not account for another person as she was only a common, albeit beautiful owl and was small enough to make insignificant difference to the outcome of the complicated formulae.

Harry understood that it was only possible to send him and accepted it as best he could, though it was a difficult revelation to swallow and because of the prophecy, he knew that it had to be him.

He sighed as he shrunk all of his possessions and pocketed them and made his way to the time room for the final time.

He entered the room to find both Croaker, Filmore and Filmore's team double checking everything to ensure that it was all prepared and working correctly.

"How are you feeling Mr. Potter?" Croaker asked, sounding more than a little concerned.

Harry shrugged and swallowed deeply.

"I don't know" he answered honestly. "Sick, scared, everything" he finished uncertainly.

"I understand" Croaker responded with a sympathetic smiled. "What you are doing is exceedingly brave and I cannot respect you anymore than I do for the sacrifice you are making" he praised sincerely.

"I agree" Filmore cut in. "It's been a damn difficult time here but you've impressed the hell out of me and my team, there is nothing else I can do to prepare you, but I wish you all the best kid, you're a damn fine wizard and a damn good man for what you're doing" he finished genuinely.

Harry nodded gratefully but didn't trust himself to speak.

"Here" Croaker spoke, handing Harry a set of Dark grey robes and a leather wallet. "I imagine that you will appear here in the department, you will need these to get out, just show them the badge and keep your hood up" he instructed. "No one will question you with those credentials" he explained.

Harry took the robes and pulled them over his head, putting the hood up as he finished. He then took the offered badge and opened it.

It was a simple gold plate with the phrase 'Unspeakable Class 1' etched into the circle of gold.

"It is only a temporary badge, as soon as you exit the department it will vanish" Croaker informed him.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"The first thing you should do is head to Diagon Alley and get a newspaper to confirm the date, you should arrive around mid August 1976 give or take a couple of days" he told him confidently. "Have you removed everything from your possessions that would give you away if seen?" he asked seriously.

Harry nodded and swallowed back another stab of pain that threatened to overcome him at the memory of having to leave behind his firebolt though he had been allowed to keep a photograph of the DA the Colin had took.

"And you have the clothes we got for you? Though I suspect you will need more" Filmore inquired.

"I've got everything, gold, clothes, everything we talked about" Harry confirmed.

"Good" Filmore replied with a nod. "Then I guess we are ready" he sighed a little reluctantly. "Good luck Potter, it has been a pleasure working with you" he intoned seriously taking the teens hand in a firm grip.

"You too sir, though I still hate you for what you put me through" Harry retorted with a grin.

"That means I did my job properly" Filmore returned with a chuckle. "Stay safe" he finished before he and his team exited the room after each gave him a simple nod.

"I too wish you all the luck in the world Mr. Potter" Croaker cut in, offering the teen his own hand.

"Thank you Mr. Croaker, for everything" Harry replied warmly.

"I think after everything we have been through since you came here you have earned the right to call me Clarence" Croaker said with a light laugh.

"And I think Mr. Potter makes me sound much older than I am" Harry pointed out.

Croaker smiled at the teen.

"I'm praying for your success Harry" he said truthfully.

"I will do my best Clarence" Harry promised.

"That is all that we can ask of you" Croaker declared giving Harry a pat on the back before he too left the room, leaving only Harry and his familiar within.

"Things are going to be very different from now on Hedwig" Harry whispered as he stroked her feathers through the cage.

The owl simply hooted and nibbled his finger affectionately.

It was a few minutes after Croaker had left the room that Harry began to feet a disturbance around him that grew and grew, causing the room to shake violently.

The shaking became more and more vigorous and Harry was certain that it would collapse in on itself, but before that became a real possibility Harry felt a violent jerking as he was hoisted into nothingness, though he could not be sure where he was as he could not physically open his eyes, it was certainly much more different than when he had used a Time-Turner in his third year. It was definitely much more physical and was taking an inordinate amount of time to even begin to slow.

The feeling however subsided much more quickly than it had taken to start and Harry did find himself within the very same room after he managed to open his eyes, though it was clearly different.

Instead of the exercise equipment and area in which he would practice his spell work, there were various cabinets full of Time-Turner's and tables spread throughout the room all full of delicate looking instruments.

Harry himself was feeling rather sick, though it was not as bad as he had anticipated. He checked that Hedwig was ok and that all of his possessions had survived the journey before proceeding to leave the room, only to run into a much younger looking Filmore.

"Who the bloody hell are you and what are you doing in my room?" he growled.

Harry simply removed the badge he had been given and showed it to the man whose eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"I'm sorry sir" Filmore professed profusely. "I didn't know" he added weakly.

Harry stifled the chuckle he wanted to let out and simply nodded before exiting the room and managing to get out of the department without being hindered any further.

He managed to leave the atrium of the ministry of magic and surfaced inside a toilet cubicle where he removed the grey cloak he had been given, ensured to door was locked and sat on the toilet, placing his head in his hands where he simply cried silently for a time.

He cried for those he had left behind and he cried from the sheer amount of emotions he was feeling all at once. He was both sad and happy, though scared and excited.

It had all gotten too much for the teen and he knew he needed to just finally let it out, he had been strong for long enough after all.

After he had managed to dry his tears and prevent anymore from falling he stood and took a very deep breath in preparation to face what was ahead of him.

He was alone and though he had Hedwig with him, he had not felt this alone since before he started Hogwarts, a feeling that he was not at all fond of.

He sighed and exited the cubicle to carry out the next part of what needed to be done. He needed to ensure that he had arrived at the right time and he needed to buy more clothes and the best broom available, even though it was not a necessity, it was something he knew that would make him feel a little better and he was interested in seeing what was on offer here.

With a plan formulated in his mind he apparated away to Diagon Alley to start putting everything into motion.

He appeared close to the brick wall that would gain him entrance to the Leaky Cauldron and tapped the correct bricks with his wand to pass through.

He entered the pub and immediately noticed the difference. Everything inside looked less worn and almost every table was occupied by various groups of people sharing a drink and chatting happily amongst themselves. This was the first time he had managed to be in the wizarding world without people gaping at him and pushing there way forward to greet him, something he could definitely get used to he concluded.

He made his way to the bar and was greeted by a much more youthful looking Tom, who actually had a mouth full of gleaming white teeth and though his hair was grey as he remembered, it was flecked with brown.

"Good Afternoon sir, how may I help you" Tom asked him with a warm toothy grin.

"I'd like a room please" Harry requested.

"And how long will you require it? Tom asked, reaching behind to a row of hooks and retrieving a key.

"I'm not sure yet" Harry answered uncertainly. "But I will pay for a week now and then give you more if I need it longer" he offered.

"Very good sir" Tom agreed with a nod. "If you would kindly follow me" he requested and began heading up the staircase that was placed at the side of the bar.

Harry followed the man up the flight of stairs up until the point that he paused outside a door, unlocked it and stepped inside, gesturing for Harry to follow.

"I'm sure this will be sufficient" Tom spoke confidently. "You have a private bathroom and breakfast is included in the price, for one week that will be 12 Galleons" he finished expectantly.

Harry was surprised by the low price but quickly paid the man and thanked him for his help.

Tom took the gold and bid the teen farewell having a full bar to tend to.

Harry removed his trunk from his pocket, resized it and fetched some more gold knowing that he would needing it for his shopping.

He took a seat on the bed and sighed as he let Hedwig out of her cage who quickly hopped on to his shoulder and began rubbing her head lovingly against his cheek.

"Do you think we should write to Dumbledore?" he asked the owl who hooted disapprovingly. "You think we should just go to Hogwarts?" he questioned further.

Hedwig hooted and began bobbing her head in reply causing Harry to chuckle.

"I guess you're right girl" he conceded. "We have to do this in person" he said uncertainly. "Do you want to go and stretch you wings?, it's been a while since you've had fresh air" he pointed out.

The owl hooted again and immediately jumped onto the window ledge, clearly keen to go for a fly.

Harry chuckled as he opened the window and sent her on her way. He knew that she would be ok and would come back when she was ready.

He then made sure he had everything he would need and placed a notice-me-not charm on himself, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that he looked very much like his father without having met with Dumbledore and figured everything else out first.

He then exited the pub and took his first glimpse of Diagon Alley as it was now.

The alley itself did not look all that much different though there were a few different shops and the ones he did recognise looked more recent and fresh than he remembered.

He began walking down the alley and quickly found a newspaper stand where he bought the day's edition of the Daily Prophet.

"August 14th 1976, it worked" he whispered in relief having appeared exactly when he was supposed to.

Having ascertained that the jump back had gone according to plan he made his way to a clearly newly opened Madame Malkin's and purchased a whole wardrobe of clothes, though he found the style to be rather eccentric for his liking.

He had kept his wardrobe simple and had opted to buy fitted jeans rather than the flared ones that Madame Malkin had recommended. He was fairly happy with the rest of his purchases as they were much more neutral and not as garish as the flared trousers and found that they were actually rather normal in comparison, much to his relief.

He also bought various types of shoes and trainers and even managed to buy some clothes to exercise in, something he had promised Filmore he would continue to do.

After he had finished his clothes shopping he entered Quality Quidditch Supplies and bought himself a Comet 200, the best that was available at the time and was content with the broom, though he knew it would pale in comparison to his firebolt.

He had considered going to Gringotts to open up an account so that he could store the vast amount of gold he was carrying but decided against it for the time being knowing that it was likely that unwanted questions would be asked of him. He would simply have to carry it around with him though he was not completely comfortable with the idea.

With his shopping done he returned to his room and decided that he would make his visit to Hogwarts the next day and not prolong the inevitable any further than necessary, something that he was very nervous about.

Everything depended on the outcome of tomorrow and he knew it, though the thought of the meeting with Dumbledore left him feeling more than a little anxious.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry awoke for the first time in months the next morning by his own accord and not by being forced from his bed by several stinging hexes and expletives courtesy of Filmore, certainly a welcome change.

It took a few moments for him to gather himself and remember exactly where he was and sighed at what he would be facing today. But for the time being, he had his morning exercises to complete before he even wanted to dwell on anything else.

He pulled on some of his exercise clothes and exited the pub, giving Hedwig a treat on his way out and began running through the streets of muggle London passing Charing Cross station and eventually finding himself in St James Park, where he completed a few laps of the area before making his way back to the Leaky Cauldron where he finished up with his press ups and other exercises.

He took his shower and though it was warm outside, he relished in the hot cascade of water that soothed his tired muscles before dressing and heading down for breakfast.

"Good Morning sir" Tom greeted him with a smile. "Would you like some breakfast?" he asked.

"Could I have some porridge please and maybe some fruit?" Harry requested feeling rather hungry from his morning efforts.

"Right away" Tom obliged with another smile.

Harry began eating the food and contemplated the way in which he would handle the situation with Dumbledore. Although he had spent much time with the man over the years, this one could be rather different. The Dumbledore of his period was very open-minded but he could not be sure how this younger version would react to him. He only hoped that he was not deemed insane by the headmaster and sent to St. Mungo's.

He desperately tried to formulate a plan that would work, but could not come up with one that he was certain of so he decided that he would take everything as it came and do whatever was necessary to ensure that the man believed him; he had to make him believe.

He finally managed to steel his nerve enough to exit the pub and apparate to Hogsmeade.

The walk from the village to the gates of Hogwarts felt like it lasted for an eternity as he became wrought with nervousness once again and continuously second guessed himself the entire way.

He finally reached the gates only to find that they were locked and he breathed a sigh of relief at the apparent pardon he had been given, though he doubted he would have the nerve to come back again if he left.

He sighed again and dragged his hand through his hair before turning to leave when he was stopped in his tracks by the sound of a very familiar voice.

"What yeh doin' 'ere, Students ain't spose' to be 'ere durin' the summer" Hagrid informed him.

Harry tentatively turned to face the half giant, the sight of his friend warming him and giving him a sense of relief.

The man looked as he always had to Harry, complete with his brown moleskin coat, though the visible skin around his eyes was less wrinkled.

"Oh, sorry, I thought yeh were a student 'ere you look like a lad tha' goes 'ere" Hagrid apologized with a frown.

That statement gave Harry an idea and he inwardly thanked the man for the unintended help.

"Actually I was hoping to enroll here and was hoping I could speak to Professor Dumbledore about it" Harry replied with a smile.

"I dunno know 'bout that" Hagrid returned uncertainly. "These gates 'ere are spose to stay locked", he explained.

"I'm happy to hand over my wand" Harry offered.

It was then that a large, heavily salivating dog bounded up to the gate, wagging its tail madly, trying to get Harry's attention.

"Hello there" Harry said in greeting and began stroking the monstrous thing through the bars. "You're a messy boy aren't you" he chuckled as the dog continued to drool, leaving a puddle on the ground between them.

The dog barked happily as Hagrid pulled the behemoth away.

"Get back Dozer, ruddy dog" he grumbled.

"Dozer?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"All 'e does is sleep" Hagrid answered with a shake of his shaggy head.

"Ahh" Harry deadpanned.

"I can't be just lettin' yeh in, but I can check wi' Professor Dumbledore if e'll see yeh" Hagrid decided.

"Ok" Harry answered nervously.

"Yeh stay 'ere Dozer an' keep the lad company" Hagrid instructed the dog, who immediately bounded forward to once again get a fuss from Harry. "I figure yeh a good lad, 'e don' like many" Hagrid mused aloud before he turned away and headed towards the castle.

Harry waited nervously and stroked the dog absentmindedly until Hagrid returned around fifteen minutes later and begun to unlock the gates.

"Sorry 'bout tha' but can't be too careful these days" he explained. "Professor Dumbledore says e'll meet yeh, jus' keep yeh wand away" he advised.

"I understand" Harry returned. "It would be foolish for anyone to try and attack Dumbledore though, I don't have a death wish" Harry chuckled knowing that a bit of flattery towards the headmaster would go along way with the half giant.

Hagrid led Harry across the grounds and through the familiar corridors of the school to the stone gargoyle that immediately hopped aside as they approached.

Harry paused and took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was about to do.

"Yeh alrigh' there lad?" Hagrid asked worriedly.

I'm fine, just a little nervous" Harry responded genuinely.

Hagrid chuckled.

"No need ta be, Professor Dumbledore is a good man, e'll see yeh right" he assured him, clapping him on the back and almost sending him sprawling to the ground. "I bes' be off, a lot ta do before term starts, 'opefully I'll be seeing yeh, my name's Hagrid, by tha way" he introduced himself offering the teen a massive hand.

"Harry" the boy replied, happily shaking the man's hand.

"Yeh'll be fine 'arry" Hagrid promised before turning and leaving the teen in front of the spiral staircase.

Harry took a deep breath and ascended the stairs, knocking gently on the door when he reached the top.

"Enter" the muffled voice of the headmaster called after a moment.

Harry hesitantly opened the door and stepped into the office to see that it looked as it always had though the man sat behind the desk looked a little younger than Harry remembered.

"What can I do for y…".

The man paused and his eyebrows rose significantly as he caught sight of Harry.

"My, you look very much like a student here" Dumbledore observed with a calculative stare. "The resemblance is almost uncanny" he added in awe.

Harry swallowed deeply before speaking.

"That's kind of why I'm here sir" he replied, not knowing how to begin.

Dumbledore noticed that the teen was clearly apprehensive and offered him a warm smile.

"Then why don't you take a seat and explain why you are here in your own time", he offered, gesturing to the chair opposite him.

Harry nodded and took the offered seat, grateful to be off his feet as his legs had begun to tremble slightly.

"Hello Fawkes" Harry greeted the phoenix, who trilled in reply before leaving his perch and climbing onto the boy's shoulder.

"I see you are familiar with my friend here" Dumbledore cut in. "Though I am sure we have never met" he added confusedly, trying to ascertain if he had ever come across the teen before.

Harry dragged his hand through his hair, lost for what he should say.

"Why don't you just let what you need to say come out, I find that if we choose our words to carefully it can be rather unsuccessful" Dumbledore advised, leaning slightly forward.

Harry nodded and braced himself once more before speaking.

"What are your thoughts on time travel sir?" he asked quietly.

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, clearly thinking about what had been asked of him.

"Magic is a very wondrous thing and I fear that we have barely scratched the surface of what it is capable of" he mused aloud. "I have been lucky to witness some magnificent things that most deemed impossible, yet I have seen for myself that they are not" he continued with a shake of his head. "Time travel is something rather unimpressive in comparison to some things, though it is well known to have its limitations", he frowned. "Are you telling me that you have taken a significant journey through time?" he questioned skeptically.

Harry nodded again.

"20 years" he answered hoarsely.

"Is that so?" Dumbledore asked amusedly. "That is quite a feat" he surmised. "And what would your name be young man?" he finished, glancing at Harry over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

Harry sighed and swallowed deeply before answering.

"Harry James Potter, sir" he answered.

Dumbledore looked at him speculatively and nodded.

"You reminded me of young James when you came in, though your eyes are those of another student here" Dumbledore replied quietly.

"Lily Potter… Evans" Harry clarified.

"Indeed" Dumbledore agreed. "So Mr. Potter will be successful in his pursuit" he added thoughtfully stroking his beard.

Harry remained silent and waited for the old man to speak.

"Now Harry, I do not doubt you are who you say you are, but one can never be too careful in times like these" Dumbledore began again after a moment. "I will need to verify who you are in some way" he stated seriously.

"I'll do whatever you need sir" Harry responded truthfully.

"Very well" Dumbledore returned with a warm smile. "I can perform a blood verification charm or question you under veritaserum, it is your choice" he finished.

"Could I take the potion?" Harry asked, not at all keen on giving the man any of his blood, not being entirely sure what would be done with it.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Solly" he called.

A house elf wearing an apron with the Hogwarts crest popped into the room and bowed before the man.

"Could you ask Professor Slughorn if he would consent on providing me with some veritaserum?" he asked. "Tell him I will of course replace it" he finished and the elf popped away.

The two sat in an amiable silence for the elf to return which he did after a few minutes, clutching a small vial of the clear liquid. After handing it to Dumbledore he popped away leaving the two alone again.

"Are you familiar with veritaserum Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.

Harry nodded.

"Yes sir, though I've never taken it willingly" he explained.

"Ok" Dumbledore nodded as he rose from his seat and made his way over to the teen. "Open your mouth please" he requested.

Harry complied and the headmaster placed 3 drops of the potion onto his tongue and waited for the tell tale glazing of the eyes to occur, indicating that it had taken effect.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry immediately felt as though he could fight off the potion but decided to let it run its course, he had to make the man trust him after all.

"Harry James Potter" he answered truthfully.

"What is your date of birth?" Dumbledore inquired.

"The 31st of July 1980" Harry replied.

"Who are you parent's?" Dumbledore questioned further.

"Lily and James Potter" Harry returned immediately.

"And why did you come here?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"To kill Tom Riddle and stop him from ending our kind and to save my family" Harry finished with a choke as thoughts of Sirius and his parents came to the forefront of his mind.

Dumbledore sighed and took his seat, waiting for the potion to wear off.

Harry felt the effects stop and he looked at Dumbledore and swallowed deeply.

"I am sorry for the last question my boy, but I needed to know" Dumbledore explained. "So you are very much aware of our problems" he stated.

Harry nodded.

"And you have experienced the man?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.

"Since I was born" Harry confirmed darkly.

"Could you explain?" the headmaster requested.

Harry sighed.

"Why don't you look for yourself? I'm sure a man of your calibre is versed in Legilimency" Harry offered. "I will drop my occlumency shields around my memories of the man if you promise to only look at those and not into anything else, most of it is personal" he added seriously.

"You know Occlumency?" the old man asked, clearly surprised.

"It's necessary to hide my secrets" Harry pointed out.

"Indeed, well Legilimency is illegal Mr. Potter" Dumbledore pointed out. "But I do have a pensieve, that way you can choose what memories I see" he offered.

'And the use of veritaserum is heavily regulated' Harry thought to himself.

However, he nodded and Dumbledore summoned the stone bowl and placed it on his desk between them.

Harry sighed and removed the memories from his mind with the tip of his wand and placed them into the device.

"I don't want to see them again" he stated and gestured for Dumbledore to enter on his own.

Dumbledore nodded his understanding and plunged himself into the mass of dark memories.

It was quite some time later that he emerged looking both grave and very upset, his eyes shining with the emotion he was feeling.

Without saying a word he opened a draw at the bottom of his desk and poured himself a generous measure of brown liquid and drained it in one.

While the headmaster was busy Harry took the opportunity to retrieve and replace his memories.

"I am very sorry for the difficult life you've led Harry" Dumbledore whispered sincerely. "But killing him for revenge makes you no better than him" he added pleadingly.

"It's not just for that, there are other reasons that I am not willing to share just yet" Harry explained.

He had decided not to share the prophecy with the man and risk him trying to garner some form of control over him. He needed him as an ally, not a protector after all.

"I hope in time that you can trust me enough my boy" Dumbledore replied in understanding.

"So do I" Harry responded quietly.

Dumbledore nodded and took a deep breath.

"So you wish to attend Hogwarts?" he asked.

"Yes sir" Harry answered. "I still need to complete my last two years" he explained.

"Of course" Dumbledore acknowledged with a nod. "But what do you intend on doing about your family? You are the same age as your father here" he pointed out.

"I really don't know" Harry answered honestly. "I was hoping I could get to know him and maybe we could be friends" he shrugged.

"You look too much alike for that" the headmaster stated with a shake of his head. "And we can't have you taking polyjuice potion" he added with a frown.

Harry grimaced at the thought.

"You would not be willing to change your name and appearance" Dumbledore said questioningly, already knowing the answer.

"No" Harry answered firmly.

"Then there is only one thing for it" the headmaster sighed as he stood and approached the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked urgently, jumping to his feet.

Dumbledore sighed again.

"People will take one look at you and know you are a Potter, it is undeniable and I myself do not like the idea of trying to hide it" he admitted ruefully. "It is simply too much work to try to hide you and it is much too dangerous for you to be out in the world alone so I am going to call Charlus and Dorea and see if they can come up with a plan, they are your family after all and I am sure they will understand" he explained.

"No, wait, I'm not ready to meet them" Harry pleaded. "And I can look after myself" he added firmly.

"My boy, the longer we put it off the worse it will be" Dumbledore responded sadly. "At least we have time now to come up with a plan, we can't leave it any longer, school starts in less than 3 weeks" he concluded with a sympathetic smile.

Harry just gaped, not able to put a sentence together and eventually hung his head in defeat.

"Good boy" Dumbledore intoned. "I will remain with you and stand by you no matter the outcome" he promised.

Harry just sunk back in his chair dejectedly and even considered running away, though he knew it would achieve nothing now that Dumbledore had his mind made up.

Dumbledore took a deep breath and threw a handful of floo powder into the flames.

"Potter Manor" he called clearly and stuck his head in the flames after they had turned green.

He removed himself from the fire after a moment and took his seat behind the desk once more.

"They will be here momentarily" he informed Harry with a nod.

Harry took a deep breath and swallowed deeply, attempting to stop the nausea that he felt within himself, though he was excited at the same time to even meet his grandparent's.

True to Dumbledore's word the fire burst into life only a few minutes later and a woman in her early fifties stepped out and dusted the ash off of herself with a wave of her wand.

She had barely taken a step further into the room as she looked up and stopped dead at the sight of the teen sat in the chair, her eyes going wide in shock.

She was a very beautiful woman with long and thick Black hair, very delicate features and light grey eyes. She was very petite, lithe and stood about 6 inches over the five feet mark.

Only a moment more passed when the fire burst into life once again, depositing a rather imposing man who stood around 6 feet tall. He was well built with his height and his hair was dark brown, matching that of his eyes.

"This had better be damn good Dumbledore" he growled as he too stepped out of the fire, removing the ash from his black robes, only to bump into his wife who was still staring at Harry completely in awe.

The man frowned as he collided with the woman causing him to look up and catching sight of the young man, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline in surprise.

"As I said, we have a very delicate matter to discuss" Dumbledore cut into the silence. "Please take a seat" he requested gesturing to two chairs next to Harry.

The two snapped out of their respective stupor's at the sound of the headmaster's voice and took the indicated seats, clearly not knowing what to say.

Dumbledore sighed when he realised that Harry was not able to speak and began.

"Now, this young man sought me out this morning and had quite the tale to tell" he began seriously. "Please let me explain" he added when it looked as though Charlus would interrupt him. "I'm sure Harry here will answer any questions you may have when we are done" he finished.

The two Potter's nodded, neither knowing what else they could do for the time being.

"I have verified everything that the young man has told me and I am sure he will consent to you doing the same, any way you see fit" Dumbledore began again, shooting a questioning glance towards Harry.

Harry nodded his agreement and Dumbledore continued.

"As difficult as this is to believe this young man is in fact your Grandson" he informed Charlus and Dorea.

Charlus immediately scoffed.

"What are you trying to pull you bloody relic" he demanded angrily. "James must be about the same age as this boy and we have no other children, as you well know" he pointed out with a frown.

"Indeed" Dumbledore acknowledged and sighed. "Young Harry here was born in 1980" he added in explanation.

Charlus let out a bark of laughter.

"You're insane", he stated. "That's bloody well 4 years from now".

"Charlus" Dorea cut in warningly. "I'm sure there is an explanation" she deduced, feeling very curious to see where this was leading.

"There is" Dumbledore replied with a bow. "But I believe that it is Harry that should explain it, I only know the bare minimum" he explained with a shake of his head.

The two Potter's looked towards Harry who immediately felt very nervous at the stares he was receiving.

"I'm sorry" he began. "I wasn't going to bother you and I don't want anything from you" he added sincerely. "But I had to come back here to kill Voldemort" he finished weakly.

"Kill… you're just a boy" Dorea answered worriedly. "Why on earth would you need to do it?" she asked disbelievingly.

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"There are things you don't understand" he returned uncertainly.

"Then try" Dorea requested firmly.

Harry sighed again.

"James really is my father and I was born in 1980, my name is Harry James Potter", he said honestly. "Voldemort killed my parent's when I was a year old and he tried to kill me but failed, he has tried to kill me ever since", he concluded hurriedly.

"James was killed?" Dorea asked fearfully.

"Yes" Harry confirmed. "My mother also and I was raised by my Mother's family" he explained.

"Why the hell would you not have been raised by us?" Charlus cut in angrily.

"You were already dead and I never even knew about you until a few month's ago" Harry replied with a shrug.

Dorea shook her head and looked at the boy sadly.

"But that doesn't explain why you have to kill him" she pointed out.

"It's complicated", Harry responded shooting a glance at the headmaster, indicating he did not want to discuss certain things with him present.

"I'm sorry but we need to understand" Dorea insisted.

Harry nodded.

"Do any of you know Legilimency?" he asked, not being able to think of another way to show them what he wanted to explain.

"I do" Charlus answered.

"I'll drop my Occlumency shields and you can see for yourself why I have to do it, but a lot of my memories are not pleasant" he warned. "I won't stop you going through anything you need to, I just want you to see I'm telling the truth and not trying to swindle you in any way" he finished sincerely.

"You know occlumency?", Charlus asked, clearly surprised.

Harry just nodded.

Charlus and Dorea shared a look and the man nodded resolutely.

"Ok" he agreed. "It will put any doubts to rest" he shrugged.

He removed his wand and looked at Harry speculatively.

" _Legilimens",_ he whispered and dove into the boy's mind.

Dumbledore immediately conjured a glass and filled it with the same brown liquid he had drunk earlier. He placed it on the desk in front of Charlus's chair causing Dorea to look at him worriedly.

"I saw some of his memories earlier, I fear your husband will need it when he is done", he explained seriously.

Dorea just raised an eyebrow at the headmaster and waited for her husband to finish. She hated legilimency but understood the necessity of it right now.

Harry watched as his whole life played in front of his eyes in a blur. He did not know how long it lasted but he knew a considerable amount of time had passed when it was finally over, his head pounding under protests of the strain.

Dumbledore and Dorea watched for close to an hour as Charlus and Harry just stared at each other while the man went through the boy's memories at will.

When Charlus had finished he extracted himself from Harry's mind and immediately stood, turned away and walked towards the wall, shaking uncontrollably.

"Charlus?", Dorea called worriedly.

The man just shook his head and turned to face Harry, his eyes full of tears as he just stared at the boy in both horror and utter disbelief.

"Charlus what did you see?", Dorea asked.

She knew instantly that it must be terrible, her husband was the strongest man she knew, he himself had seen war and he had never been in this state.

"Charlus" She said pleadingly once more.

Charlus turned to look at her and swallowed deeply.

"What did you see?" she questioned again.

"Things that no one should see, especially not a boy" he answered cryptically. "How the bloody hell are you alive?" he asked Harry weakly.

Harry was rubbing his temples in an attempt to alleviate the throbbing in his head.

"I've been lucky" he sighed.

Charlus shook his head.

"That was more than luck", he stated noticing the drink on the desk and downing it in one. "You're a hell of a wizard" he finished, taking a deep breath.

"I just wanted you to see that I'm telling the truth" Harry explained. "It's like I said, I don't want anything from you, I just wanted to meet you and maybe be friends with my Dad" he added sincerely.

"I don't doubt you are telling the truth" Charlus replied in a whisper as he took his seat and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "But I can't let you fight him, you're just a boy, it shouldn't be your problem" he said firmly.

"You saw for yourself that it is", Harry pointed out.

Charlus just looked at the boy and sighed.

The boy was only sixteen and he had seen more than any man should ever see. He should be worrying about homework and having fun with his friends, not planning on fighting a murdering maniac and all because of something as foolish as a prophecy. Charlus certainly did not hold Divination in high esteem.

He could see that the boy would not be swayed, clearly he was stubborn, very much like his wife.

"You have two years left of school, why don't you finish that and just see how things go", he suggested. "It will at least give you time to prepare", he added.

"That was my plan", Harry returned. "I was going to come back to Hogwarts, that's why I came here today, I didn't mean for any of this", he explained.

"And that is the main problem we have to deal with" Dumbledore cut in. "As you can see the resemblance between young James and Harry is very similar, that is the reason I asked you both here, I mean it is possible that we could use a glamour to hide the similarities" Dumbledore suggested.

Charlus shook his head and frowned.

"That is not fair on the boy and all it would take would for him to be stunned and they fail" he pointed out. "He shouldn't have to hide who he is, he's been through enough" he added with a sad sigh.

"We can't say he is an illegitimate child either, he would be persecuted" Dorea cut in.

"Yeah, and so would we", Charlus pointed out.

"I don't want to cause any trouble", Harry piped up, realising the problems he was causing.

"Nonsense" Charlus replied. "You are family, regardless of where or when you come from" he stated firmly. "I didn't even have any siblings so we can't even say you're a nephew" he added with a sigh.

"Well we have to think of something, the boy could pass for James's twin" Dorea said exasperatedly.

Charlus's head shot up at that and he looked at his wife with a smirk.

"Say that again" he requested.

"What, that he…" she paused mid-sentence. "Could pass as James's twin" she finished in a whisper and looked at Harry speculatively.

"Woah" Harry piped up in realisation. "No, just… No" he finished disbelievingly.

"It could work" Dorea concluded, ignoring Harry's protest.

"How would that work?" Harry asked weakly.

"It could" Charlus agreed. "No one knew about James until we sent him to school except for Dilys, who is now dead and… Arcturus, he was the only who came to our house when James was growing up", he finished with a sigh.

"We can always tell him" Dorea suggested. "He would understand, it's family Charlus, he would understand" she reiterated.

Charlus nodded.

"We can just say that we sent him away to be privately tutored, hell the boy is more than talented to make that believable" Charlus pointed out. "The boy is a damn prodigy" he added sincerely. "We can just say we brought him home because of the war, we wanted him close" he concluded triumphantly.

"I would advise against informing Mr. Black", Dumbledore cut in gravely.

"This is family business Dumbledore" Charlus retorted irritably. "It no longer concerns you" he added in a no nonsense tone.

Dumbledore simply shrugged and remained silent.

Dorea sighed.

"That's all well and good but you are forgetting one thing" she said with a shake of her head.

Charlus frowned and looked at his wife questioningly.

"James", Dorea reminded him exasperatedly.

"Ah", Charlus deadpanned.

The two sat in silence for a while until Charlus spoke again.

"We tell him the truth" he said simply.

Dorea frowned at him and shook her head.

"He's 16 Charlus, you can't put that on him" she sighed.

"We can't lie to our son hell, he deserves a chance to get to know the boy it's not like he needs to babysit him, it might even make him bloody well grow up some" he responded.

He sighed before he carried on speaking.

"I'm not saying it will be easy, far from it but it will be worse if we try to hide it from him" he pointed out. "We are family, no matter how we are related we have to look out for each other it's small enough without lies and secrets amongst ourselves" he finished with a sad shake of his head.

"Honestly, it's ok" Harry piped up once again. "I can just change my name and wear glamour's" he offered, though he felt reluctant doing so.

"You'll do no such thing" Charlus responded firmly. "You're a Potter" he added simply.

"This is just causing problems and I didn't want that", Harry said sadly. "I don't need anything and I'm ok, I have more than enough gold to buy myself a house when I finish school, maybe we should just forget about this", he suggested and stood to leave.

He really did not want to cause problems for his family, he had only come here to enroll at school, perhaps find a much needed ally in Dumbledore and had been thrown into this unexpectedly.

"And what about us?" Dorea asked emotionally getting to her feet. "You just expect us to forget that we met you?" she added with a shake of her head. "You are our Grandson, no matter how you came here" she finished firmly.

Harry paused with his hand on the doorknob and swallowed deeply.

Charlus stood and placed his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"As I said, our family is small Harry" he spoke quietly. "We never got the chance after James to have anymore children" he choked. "We can't just forget that you are here, you are family and you don't have anyone else, James will understand, it will probably take time but he will, he always wanted a brother, just as we wanted more children" he finished with a weak smile.

"I never had a family" Harry whispered.

"And now you do" Charlus replied. "It will be an adjustment but we will make it work somehow" he added with a nod.

"But it's not fair on my Dad" Harry responded with a shake of his head.

"And it will be even more unfair if you hide from him and not give him the chance" Charlus pointed out.

Harry dragged his hand through his hair.

This situation was even more strange than he could have ever have comprehended and he had no idea what to do. He felt as though he had no choice in the matter. He could walk away and hide and know that he had hurt the only family he had ever had or he could face what he felt was coming.

He turned to face the couple and could see the pleading in their eyes.

How could he say no to them?

The simple answer was that he couldn't and he knew it. They were willing to at least try, he should be able to do the same and he knew he would regret it if he left now and didn't.

He sighed and nodded, noting the relief appearing on his grandparent's faces as he did so.

"I'll go and get him" Dorea offered as she walked towards the fireplace and she paused. "Sirius is there" she said in realisation.

Harry's breath hitched in his chest at the mention of his godfather.

"We will worry about him after we've spoken to James" Charlus replied.

Dorea nodded and disappeared into the flames after throwing in some floo powder.

"If you plan on attending Hogwarts Harry I will need a transcript of some sort", Dumbledore broke the silence that had fallen after a moment.

Harry nodded and reached into his pocket to retrieve the OWL results he had brought with him and handed them to the headmaster.

Dumbledore glanced over the parchment and nodded enthusiastically.

"Very impressive", he praised. "Very impressive indeed", he added with a smile.

Charlus frowned and took the results from the man to read for himself, his eyebrows raising significantly as he did so.

"All O's and O+'s" he said proudly. "I wouldn't have expected anything less" he surmised. "Especially after everything you've been through, I mean a basilisk at age 12" he added, clearly impressed.

"A basilisk?", Dumbledore questioned frantically.

"The boy is more than impressive", Charlus replied dismissively, clearly not wanting to share any details with the old man. "Dorea will be pleased with a certain ability of yours, though you should keep it to yourself, people are still under the impression it is dark", he advised with a shake of his head.

Harry nodded his agreement.

He understood that Charlus meant his parseltongue ability and knew from experience that the man was right in his deduction.

It was only a few minutes later that Dorea exited the floo once more and nodded towards her husband.

"He's coming, I told him we needed a serious family discussion" she explained nervously.

Charlus just nodded and waited for his son to appear.

The fire sprung to life after only a moment and Harry got the first glimpse of his father in person.

They did look very much alike, though the eyes were different and Harry's features were a little more delicate, but even stood next to each other the differences would be difficult to notice, the eyes would be the only real giveaway that they were not the same person.

James Potter stepped out of the fireplace and immediately began making excuses, clearly thinking that he was here for something school related.

"Whatever it is it wasn't me, I've behaved myself…",

He paused as he caught sight of Harry, his expression mirroring his parent's when they first laid eyes upon him.

"Shit" he whispered.

"Language James" Dorea scolded and shook her head exasperatedly.

"It's not every day you walk into a room and see your double" James pointed out. "Is that polyjuice potion?" he asked walking closer to Harry and looking at him in awe.

"No James and stop prodding the poor boy" Dorea answered. "This is what we need to discuss with you, take a seat" she requested seriously.

"So I'm not in trouble?" James asked looking relieved.

"No" Charlus confirmed. "But this is very serious" he explained firmly.

James frowned and took the seat his mother gestured to, looking at his parent's expectantly as he did so.

Charlus sighed, finding himself in the position that Harry was in earlier and not knowing where to begin.

"This" he began. "Is Harry" he introduced the boy with a gesture.

"Ok" James replied skeptically. "What, is he a long lost relative or something?" he asked having already noted the resemblance between himself and the other boy.

"In a manner of speaking" Charlus conceded. "But he's not from here" he added with a sigh.

James frowned.

"Well where is he from?" he asked curiously.

Charlus and Dorea shared a look and it was the latter that spoke.

"Harry was born in 1980" she sighed.

James shook his head and looked at his parent's confusedly.

"It's 1976" he pointed out.

Charlus sighed and dragged his hand through his hair, demonstrating where Harry had gotten the habit from.

"We know that" he said exasperatedly. "Harry has time travelled here" he explained simply.

James just laughed and shook his head but stopped when he noted the grave expressions, his parent's were wearing.

"You're serious" he choked.

"We are" Dorea confirmed quietly.

James's eyebrows rose and he looked at Harry closely, inspecting every detail of the other boy.

"You look just like me" he whispered.

Harry swallowed deeply and nodded.

"Are you my brother?" James questioned, all of the amusement now absent from his face.

Harry swallowed again and shook his head slightly.

"Then who are you?" James asked almost desperately.

Harry tried to speak but the words stuck in his throat, he simply could not make a sound.

"He is your son" Dorea choked out.

James's eyes went wide at the revelation and he stood and shook his head in disbelief and then burst into a fit of laughter.

"No, it can't be true, he must have come back what…"

"Twenty years" Harry said, cutting him off.

James turned to look at the boy and shook his head again.

"That's not possible" he stated. "Why the hell did you come? Why isn't the me from the future looking after you?", he asked confusedly.

Harry sighed and looked at his father sadly.

"You're dead" Harry whispered making James freeze with a horrified expression on his face.

"How?" he asked weakly after a few moments.

"You were murdered when I was a baby" Harry explained emotionally. "It's one of the reasons I came back, to stop that happening to you and my mum" he elaborated.

James turned to look at his parent's and then at Dumbledore who was looking on in concern.

"Is this real?" he asked the headmaster. "You're not trying to get me back for all the pranks?"

"I'm afraid so Mr. Potter, both myself and your parent's have verified it", Dumbledore answered seriously.

James turned once again to look at his Mother and Father and they both nodded in confirmation.

"But I'm only sixteen" he said weakly. "I'm not ready to be a Dad" he pointed out.

"And we don't expect you to, neither does Harry", Charlus replied.

"I don't need a Dad" Harry cut in quietly. "I've never had one and I don't need one now" he sighed sadly.

"Then why are we here? He doesn't need me, he said it himself" James asked his parent's.

"This has been sprung on him as it has with us James, he only came to enroll at school and Dumbledore contacted us" Charlus explained. "The boy did not even want to tell you, he was going to just leave" he added with a shake of his head.

"Why would he do that?' James questioned, looking towards Harry.

"Because he didn't want to cause any problems, but we couldn't just let him walk away, he's our family" Dorea answered.

James nodded his understanding. His mother had always drilled into him the importance of family.

"This really isn't a joke?" he asked again.

"No son, it's not a joke", Charlus answered firmly.

James sighed and dragged his hand through his hair and approached Harry.

"You're not trying to pull something are you?" he questioned the other boy sternly.

Harry shook his head.

"I don't want anything from any of you, all I wanted was to get to know you and maybe be your friend", Harry answered sincerely. "I have my own money and everything else I need" he added with a shrug.

James nodded though Harry wasn't convinced.

"Why don't we perform a blood verification charm, that will show you" he suggested.

James looked at his parent's who both shrugged.

"Ok" he agreed.

"Would you like me to do it?" Dumbledore offered.

James nodded and the two boy's approached the desk.

"I just need a sample of your blood in these vials" he instructed.

Harry nodded, drew his wand and conjured two intricate silver daggers.

"How did you do that?" James asked in awe as he took one of the knives offered to him.

"Harry is a very gifted wizard" Charlus explained, saving Harry from having to answer. "I won't divulge any of his secret's they're his to tell, but he is very special" he added firmly.

James just shook his head and turned his attention back to Dumbledore and the other boy.

He watched as Harry casually cut across his palm and filled the vial he had been given without even a grimace, quickly sealing the cut when he was done.

James mimicked the actions of the other boy and couldn't help the hiss of pain that escaped him as the blade sliced into his flesh.

When he was done Harry took his hand sealed the wound causing James to notice his wand for the first time.

"That's a strange wand", he pointed out with a frown.

"I had to have it made, I outgrew my old one", he explained sadly, not wanting to discuss the fate of his old wand and the connection to Voldemort it had.

""It's nice", James praised with a nod.

Dumbledore coughed to get the two boy's attention.

"If you are indeed father and son the blood will turn gold, if you are related in any lower form it will turn silver", he explained as he drew his wand and began casting the spell with a Latin chant.

Harry did not even look to know that the blood would turn gold but James watched the two samples intently and unblinkingly.

Unsurprisingly, after only a moment, the two vials of blood were full of a now brightly gold coloured liquid and James took a deep breath before resuming his seat, not saying a word.

"Who was your mum?", he suddenly asked curiously.

Harry swallowed deeply, unsure if he should say, but he didn't want to hide anything from him.

"See for yourself", Harry answered, stepped closer to his father and pointed to his eyes.

James frowned and looked at where the other boy was pointing, his eyes widening when the realisation hit him.

"Lily", he whispered as he recognized the eyes looking back at him.

Harry nodded.

"You can't say anything to her", Harry pleaded.

James shook his head.

"She wouldn't believe me anyway, she thinks I'm an idiot", he mumbled.

"Yeah, Sirius said as much", Harry chuckled.

"You knew Sirius?", James asked excitedly.

"He was my godfather", Harry answered. "I knew Remus too", he added.

"What about Peter?", James questioned.

"That's enough questions for now", Charlus cut in. "You don't want to say too much Harry, it might change more than you want it to", he said warningly.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"Remember, what people did where you came from hasn't happened here, you can't hold it against them and you are in a position to prevent it, remember that", Charlus advised.

Harry understood what the man was implying. He was in a position to stop people becoming what they were and he should keep an open mind. He knew it would be very difficult to do where certain people were concerned, but he would try.

Harry conceded the point with another nod.

"This is all well and good but how do we explain all this?" James asked no one in particular.

"We have already thought of that" Dorea responded a little nervously.

She went on to explain the idea they had come up with earlier in the day and James frowned.

"Or we can just pretend this hasn't happened" Harry added when the woman had finished.

James sighed.

"It's a little late for that" he pointed out. "It will take some getting used to but I guess it will work, it would make me a crappy person knowing what I do and pushing you away, I don't even think I could now", he finished with a sincere whisper.

Dorea smiled at her son.

"You're taking this rather well" she observed.

James shrugged.

"You always told me that family is the most important thing" he replied. "And it will be one hell of a prank" he continued with a smirk. "And as long as I don't have to change nappies" he finished with a mischievous grin.

Dorea shook her head exasperatedly.

"When are you going to grow up James?" she asked irritably.

"Never" the boy answered simply.

Dorea shook her head again.

"How do we tell Sirius, he is living with us after all?" she questioned with a hint of concern.

""Sirius doesn't do talks like this" James responded with a shake of his head. "But I know a way we can do it, and we get to prank him at the same time" he added in realisation.

"James, this is not a time for one of your jokes" Dorea chided.

"Mum I know Sirius better than anyone, if we try to explain it like this he will freak" James said confidently. "We need to make it as small a thing as possible, trust me" he implored.

Dorea looked towards her husband who shrugged.

"He might be right" he conceded.

"Fine" Dorea agreed reluctantly. "But don't push it too much" she warned.

James just smirked.

"How do you feel about pulling your first prank?" James asked Harry with a grin.

Harry shook his head.

"Why have I got a feeling that I'm not going to like this" he sighed.

James just smirked again and began putting his plan together.

"Where are you staying Harry?" Charlus questioned. "I don't think you said".

"The Leaky Cauldron" Harry answered. "It's only a few weeks until school starts" he shrugged.

"Well if we are going to pull this off then you had better get your things and come back with us" Charlus suggested.

Harry nodded, the man did have a point.

"I'll go with you" James offered. "It gives us a chance to get to know each other a bit" he shrugged.

"Ok, but come straight back here and don't let him drag you in the quidditch shop" Dorea said to Harry.

"I already got my broom" Harry responded.

"You play quidditch?" James asked, his eyes lighting up.

It was Harry's turn to smirk.

"Youngest seeker in a century?" he answered casually.

James choked and shook his head.

"What house were you in?" he questioned.

The three adults in the room all leaned forward, just as curious to know.

"Gryffindor", Harry replied, though he was tempted to make the boy wait.

James visually breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought you might have been a snake", he muttered.

"James, how many times do I have to tell you that not all of them are bad, I was in Slytherin", Dorea cut in heatedly.

"Yeah because you're sane", James mumbled cheekily.

"Excuse me?", Dorea asked, looking at her son through narrowed eyes.

"Nothing mum" James answered innocently. "Shouldn't we be going now?" he questioned Harry and began pushing him towards the door.

""You can use my floo if you wish?" Dumbledore offered.

Harry shook his head.

"I really don't like the floo" he answered honestly. "And I could really use the fresh air" he added.

"Ok, but be careful" Dorea pleaded.

"Believe me, they will be fine" Charlus cut in and placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.

With that Harry and James both exited the office and headed towards the front doors of the castle.

"He took it much better than I thought" Dorea observed.

"He did" Charlus agreed. "Let's just hope we can keep it that way" he sighed.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry and James left the office and began walking through the corridors of the school in silence and it was Harry that broke it.

"I am sorry about all of this" he said genuinely. "I didn't mean for it to happen this way, even though you are taking it well, better than I would be" he finished with a shrug.

James paused and looked at the other boy and shook his head.

"It's not your fault, you had it pushed on you just as much as us" he sympathized. "Honestly, it hasn't really sunk in and it will take some getting used to" he admitted. "But it's like Mum said, you're family wherever or whenever you came from" he concluded.

"Well thanks, for being so understanding" Harry replied.

"The one thing Mum always wanted was to have kids" James responded seriously. "She couldn't have anymore after me and she'll never admit it but it's something she never got over, just don't upset her" he implored.

Harry nodded and the two began making their way through the grounds in silence once more. They reached the gates and passed through them before James broke the silence this time.

"How're we getting to London?" he asked curiously.

Harry just offered the boy his arm in response.

"You can apparate?" James asked excitedly. "Can you teach me?" he added in a begging tone.

Harry just nodded and grabbed the boy by the shoulders, apparating them away as he did so.

The duo arrived outside the back entrance of the Leaky Cauldron and Harry had to steady the other boy to prevent him from falling over.

"I didn't like that" James stated, looking considerably pale.

"It's better when you do it yourself" Harry explained sympathetically and led the boy through the bar and up to his room.

Harry began putting everything together, making sure he didn't leave anything behind.

"How did I end up with Lily?" James asked suddenly.

Harry looked at the boy and sighed.

"Sirius said you grew up, that's all I know", he shrugged.

James nodded his understanding and became lost in his thoughts again.

"And you know Remus…"

"Is a werewolf?" Harry cut in. "Yeah I do" he confirmed, eliciting a sigh of relief from James. "And I know all about Prongs too" he added with a smile.

James's head shot up and he looked at Harry questioningly.

Harry shook his head in amusement and dug into is trunk and removed a battered piece of parchment, passing it to James casually.

"You have the map?" James asked in awe.

Harry nodded and reached into the trunk once more, removing a silvery, silky cloak.

"And the cloak?" James added weakly. "Do you have any idea what we could do with two maps and two cloaks" he questioned with wide eyes. "The possibilities are endless" he concluded.

Harry just chuckled knowing that the other boy was already cooking up a pranking spree like Hogwarts had never seen.

"What exactly do you know about Prongs?" James asked curiously after a moment.

Harry just smiled and drew his wand.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he whispered.

James stared on in awe at the high level of magic he was witnessing and was simply dumbfounded at the sight of his animagus form.

After a few moments Harry ended the spell and James turned to look at him.

"I'm your patronus?" he asked weakly.

"Ever since Moony taught me when I was thirteen" Harry responded.

"Thirteen?" James scoffed. "Shit, you must be good" he whispered proudly.

"I had to learn it" Harry replied cryptically.

James nodded.

"You haven't mentioned Wormtail" he pointed out. "I can't imagine not ever being friends with him, what happened? He asked.

Harry swallowed deeply and remembered what Charlus had said. As much as he wanted to get his father away from the rat and kill the bastard he knew it was not his place to interfere, yet.

"It's like your Dad said, I shouldn't say too much, but I will stop anything bad from happening" he promised.

James wanted to protest but thought better of it figuring that Harry was probably right in the fact that he probably had an advantage of knowing what was going to happen and if he changed too much it could end up worse than it was before for the boy.

James nodded though Harry could see he was not too happy about it.

"There are things that I won't tell you but you can always ask" he explained sincerely. "If I can't say then please understand it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that you really are better off not knowing" he added.

James nodded his understanding a lot more convincingly now.

"You know, you're going to have to get used to calling them Mum and Dad" he pointed out. "Oh, and I get to be the older brother, it is weird enough as it is without you being older" he finished with a shake of his head.

"Agreed" Harry responded instantly.

It was bad enough being the same age as his father let alone being thought of as older.

It was then that Hedwig flew in through the window and landed on Harry's shoulder, nibbling his ear affectionately.

"She's beautiful" James observed as he stepped forward and stroked the bird who stared at him calculatingly.

"She's the only living thing I could bring back with me" Harry responded sadly.

James stopped stroking the owl and looked at the other boy.

"It must be really hard for you" he observed. "I didn't think about your friends or anyone else you knew and you came here all alone" he continued with a shake of his head. "Why did you come back?" he asked.

"I had no choice" Harry answered. "I imagine you'll know why I came back one day, but not yet" he said firmly. "Are you ready?" he questioned.

James nodded and Harry sent Hedwig on her way, knowing that she would be able to find him.

"Could you teach me how to do a patronus?" James asked as the pair left the pub and apparated back to Hogsmeade.

 _(BREAK)_

Dumbledore, Charlus and Dorea were eagerly awaiting the return of the boy's in the office, with the woman out of the trio pacing backwards and forwards nervously.

"Merlin, Dor will you please just sit down, they'll be fine" Charlus sighed exasperatedly.

Dorea paused and gave her husband a worried look.

"They've been gone for ages" She replied.

"It's been fifteen minutes" Charlus pointed out. "They could have barley gotten out of the grounds in that time" he added knowingly.

Dorea suddenly brought her hand too her mouth, her eyes going wide.

"We didn't even check to see how they would get there" she said in realisation.

"I imagine Harry will apparate them" Charlus shrugged.

"He hasn't got a license" Dorea huffed. "You need to put a stop to that or the Auror's will take him in".

"I didn't get a license until after the war and I never got caught" her husband returned unworriedly.

"Charlus" Dorea growled.

"Alright, I'll have a word" he grumbled, dragging his hand through his hair. "You have to remember he's not your son" he reminded her firmly.

"For all intents and purposes, he is" Dorea responded.

Charlus sighed.

"You have to tread carefully with him Dor, he never had a Mother growing up, damn it he slept in a cupboard for 10 years of his life" he explained angrily.

"He what?" Dorea asked dangerously.

"I shouldn't have said anything" Charlus replied with a shake of his head. "Just be careful, please" he pleaded. "He's not like James, he might be only sixteen but he's far from being a child, just don't try and mother him too much, I don't think he wants that and it's bloody confusing enough as it is" he finished.

"Then the boy needs to learn how to be a child" Dorea retorted.

"I agree" Charlus returned. "Hopefully spending time with James and Sirius will mellow him, Merlin knows he needs it and not be so damned focused on killing that bastard" he concluded sadly.

"Why does he think it has to be him?" Dorea asked sadly.

"Not here" Charlus warned. "But he has more than enough reasons to want to, I understand that but just not yet" he finished lamely.

The couple were interrupted by the sound of laughter coming from the stairway and Harry and James entered the room mid-conversation.

"He didn't really do that?" Harry asked while holding his sides.

"He did" James answered seriously. "McGonagall loved that tin and bang, a few fireworks later and I'm in detention for a month and Sirius gets away with it" he explained with a shake of his head.

Harry just laughed and stopped when he realised that they were back in Dumbledore's office, tapping James on the shoulder to get his attention.

Dorea was looking at the pair of them disapprovingly while both Charlus and Dumbledore were attempting to hide their smirks.

"And just how did the pair of you get to London and back?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We apparated" Harry shrugged.

Dorea frowned and James face palmed.

"Rule number one, never admit anything to mum, deny everything because you will get the same punishment either way" he whispered, with a shake of his head.

"Thank you James" Dorea growled. "There will be no more apparating until you get a license, not unless it's an emergency" she added firmly.

Harry shrugged.

"I prefer flying anyway" he responded.

"What broom did you get?" James asked. "Did you bring one with you?"

"They wouldn't let me bring mine, it would have been a dead giveaway but I got a Comet 200" Harry answered.

James nodded his approval.

"Are you two ready to go?" Charlus asked the pair.

"Yeah, just follow Harry's lead when we get back" James instructed. "Oh and I'm the oldest" he explained.

Both Charlus and Dorea shook their heads.

"The address is Potter Manor, you've got our blood so the wards will let you pass" Dorea informed Harry.

Harry nodded his understanding and both Charlus and Dorea bade Dumbledore goodbye before exiting through the floo.

"Thank you Professor, for everything" Harry said sincerely to the old man.

Dumbledore gave him a warm smile.

"It all worked out for the best" he responded happily. "Oh, and although you were in Gryffindor before you will have to be sorted, to keep up the pretense of course" he informed Harry.

Harry swallowed and nodded knowing that he could pretty much convince the hat to put him wherever he wanted to go.

"You'll be a Gryffindor again" James said confidently before entering the flames and disappearing.

Harry nodded and followed the other boy to meet his sixteen year old godfather for the first time.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry exited the floo and actually managed to not fall to the ground face first for the first time in his life, much to his relief.

Charlus and Dorea were waiting for him and he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Take these", James whispered, handing him his glasses from under the invisibility cloak.

Harry took them and shook his head uncertainly.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked worriedly.

"It's the best way" James said confidently. "Trust me, I know him" he reiterated.

Harry had to agree. Although he knew Sirius this was not the same man from his time who had spent twelve years in the company of the Dementor's.

Harry nodded and put the glasses on and allowed himself to be guided through the stately home by James.

They eventually came to a lounge room and Harry caught sight of his godfather as a teenager for the first time.

He looked very much how Harry remembered though this Sirius was definitely much healthier and considerably less gaunt looking.

He took a deep breath and walked into the room, picking up a quidditch magazine he spotted on the table. He took a seat opposite the boy who was sprawled over a couch reading a book of his own and didn't even look up to greet Harry as he arrived.

"So, what did Dumbledore want?" Sirius questioned offhandedly.

"He apologised for the month of detention I served for McGonagall's tin" Harry shrugged. "He said he now knows who did it and they will be punished when school starts" he added, relieved by his own fast thinking.

He heard James stifling his laughter from just behind him.

Sirius immediately sprung to his feet with a look of horror on his face and was about to speak until he caught sight of the other boy and simply gaped at him.

"You know" Harry cut in. "You shouldn't stare at me like that, people are already starting to talk about you" he said seriously.

Sirius's eyes bulged within their sockets and he began to babble incoherently, which was fortunate as James let out a snort of laughter, still hidden underneath the cloak.

"What do you mean people are talking?" Sirius questioned angrily.

"Well, it's understandable" Harry shrugged. "The hair products, the scent charms and the trousers you wear are rather snug" he reeled off casually.

"You know me Prongs, I've been with more witches than you, Moony and Wormy combined" Sirius spoke desperately.

"For all I know you could be overcompensating for something" Harry pointed out.

He then put down the magazine and looked at the other boy who was still looking horrified.

"Look, I don't have a problem with it" he stated genuinely. "But just so you know, not my thing, though with those cheekbones you could be quite a pretty girl if you made the effort" he finished with a nod.

Harry could here James snickering from behind the chair and he coughed in an effort to hide the sounds coming from the hidden boy.

Sirius whimpered slightly and then looked towards the other boy, frowning once more, his eyes suddenly going wide after a moment.

"You're not James" he said flatly.

"What the hell are you talking about Padfoot?" Harry asked irritably.

It was then that Dorea entered the room and Sirius immediately turned to address her.

"Aunt Dorea, look at James" he requested, sliding his wand into his hand.

Dorea turned to look at the boy and shrugged.

"Yes, that's my son Sirius" she observed questioningly.

"That's not James, it looks like him but it's not" Sirius pointed out desperately.

"For Merlin sake Sirius, I think I know what my son looks like" Dorea huffed indignantly.

Sirius shook his head.

"His features are more delicate and his bloody eyes are green, James has brown eyes" Sirius tried desperately.

"And you wonder why people are talking about you" Harry cut in in a disappointed tone.

By now James had clearly had enough and could no longer hold in his laughter as it escaped from him and he removed the cloak to reveal himself, his eyes full of unshed tears.

"That was bloody gold" he declared, patting Harry on the shoulder.

Sirius stared between the two boy's with a look of complete disbelief and confusion on his face.

In his dumbfounded state he managed to point at them both a stammer out random noises, not even being able to formulate a single word.

"Who the hell are you?" he managed to stutter out, his gaze shifting between the two near identical boys.

"This" James cut in. "Is my brother, Harry" he introduced the other boy to his best friend.

Sirius's eyebrows rose and he shook his head.

"You don't have a brother" he stated flatly. "I've known you since first year and been here the last two summer's, you've never once mentioned a brother" he pointed out.

"It's a family secret, was a family secret" James corrected.

"Why would you need to keep a brother a family secret?" Sirius asked confusedly.

James sighed and dragged his hand through his hair.

"Harry is…special" he said simply.

Sirius frowned and shot a look at the other boy and leaned in closer to James.

"What, Crabbe and Goyle special?" he asked with a whisper.

James shook his head and chuckled.

"More like Dumbledore special" he replied seriously.

Sirius's eyebrows rose significantly at that revelation.

"Really?" he questioned and shook his head. "Why would you keep it from me, we don't have secrets" he sighed.

"I had to Padfoot, you know how family secret's are better than anyone" he pointed out.

Sirius conceded the point with a nod. Who only knew too well how secretive his own family was.

"I'm sorry Sirius" James said sincerely. "It's the only thing I've ever kept from you" he promised.

Sirius sighed and nodded.

"I understand" he returned with a sad smile. "But why now and where has he been?" he inquired.

"Harry has been privately tutored abroad since he was eleven, we knew that Hogwarts wasn't right for him at the time, he needed extra attention" Dorea explained. "But with everything that's happening here, we wanted him home" she elaborated.

"So he really is special then?" Sirius asked with a frown.

"Very" Charlus intoned seriously as he entered the room. "I'm sure you will see it for yourself soon enough" he finished confidently.

Even James looked towards his father with wide eyes. He already knew that Harry was an exceptional wizard from the small amount of magic he had seen from him, but he didn't know the extent of his abilities.

"Does that mean he's coming to Hogwarts then?" Sirius asked excitedly.

"He is" Charlus confirmed. "That is why we were with Dumbledore" he added distastefully.

Sirius looked between the two boys and frowned again.

"So you're twins?" he asked.

James nodded.

"He's younger" he explained.

"Even up close you look so damn similar, it's only the eyes that give it away really, and you look a bit bigger" he pointed out with a look to Harry. "Oh, I'm Sirius Black, by the way" he introduced himself, offering Harry his hand.

"Harry Potter" Harry replied with a smile and shaking the offered hand.

Sirius suddenly burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"What?" James asked with a frown.

Sirius shook his head as a triumphant grin formed on his face.

"Snivellus and the snakes are going to lose it when they find out about him" he deadpanned.

James's eyes went wide with glee.

"I didn't think of that" he whispered. "This is going to be hilarious" he declared.

"And we get to prank Moony and Wormy with it too" Sirius pointed out ecstatically. "Wait here" he suddenly demanded and ran from the room without warning.

"He's gone to get his notebook" James explained and sighed. "I don't like lying to him" he admitted sadly.

Harry swallowed and nodded.

"Me either, maybe once everything settles down we can tell him, I know he's trustworthy but we can't tell him yet" Harry offered genuinely.

James smiled gratefully.

"Yeah" he agreed. "He's been through a lot recently so we will wait for a while" he decided.

Harry remembered a conversation he had had with Sirius when he explained about running away from home to live with the Potter's when he was sixteen and understood what James was referring too.

"He will have a lot more questions when it sinks in" Harry observed.

"We will deal with it when it comes, we all have to get used to it" James sighed.

It was several hours later that Harry found himself in bed, thoroughly exhausted by the events of the day.

The trio had spent the rest of the day coming up with pranks they could play on their fellow students and getting to know each other a little better with Sirius asking lots of questions about Harry and what he had been doing with his life.

It was clear that neither Harry nor James liked keeping everything a secret from the other boy but they had to for now until they themselves were comfortable with the situation they found themselves in.

Harry sighed and sunk himself into his bed and fell asleep soon after simply enjoying the fact that he finally had a family.

Even though everything was more than a little skewed, he had a family, the one thing he had always wanted above all else.

 **A/N**

 **Chapter 2 done. They will be going back to Hogwarts in the next chapter. Some have said that Harry is too emo and broody etc. That was done purposely, but trust me, he is going to learn to have fun and lighten up considerably. But keep an eye out because he will still be a ruthless bastard when people cross him, his friends or family but he will definitely be influenced by the marauders, I have a lot of plans for them all.**

 **I won't give away too much but you can expect a lot of pranks a lot of action and some lighthearted fun, thought there will be a dark undercurrent; The story is M rated for a reason.**

 **Someone pointed out the age differences from canon. My advice would be to ignore them. It would be a very dull and boring story if some of our favourite villains and so on were not at school with Harry. Bella and Harry will be in the same year with Andromeda being a year older and Narcissa younger, that's just the way I've used it to make my story work.**

 **Anyway, Follow favourite and review as always and I am aiming to get one or two chapters up a week as I did with Honour.**

 **TBR**


	3. Blending In

**A/N**

 **Ok, so the first thing I want to point out, as some people didn't seem to understand from the previous chapter is that there are no Horcruxes. The one inside Harry was a complete accident and there is absolutely no need for them within this story, they would simply be a very pointless inclusion.**

 **Harry does not need to rely on them to know what Tom is up to because he already knows, as is demonstrated by Croaker making him learn everything he could about this time period.**

 **The reason for Dumbledore's inclusion was to demonstrate that Harry wanted him as an ally and he was an in to meeting his family.**

 **As you can see, Harry does not trust him fully by the fact he would only discuss Voldemort with him and nothing else but he knows that he couldn't just emerge as a Potter and the Headmaster would accept it. The way it was done meant that he had it on his own terms and has one less significant person to attempt to hide everything from. He told him enough to suffice but kept more than enough to himself.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 3: Blending In

Harry awoke early the next morning having slept much more peacefully than he had the previous night, resulting in him being well rested and ready to face the day.

He dressed in his workout clothes, reveling in the fact that he was with his family, something he had not expected to happen so soon nor in the position that he found himself in. As everyone in the Potter household knew, the situation would take some getting used to for them all but Harry was very content with the way things had gone so far and only hoped that he would get the chance to know his family and remain a welcome member of it, no matter what else it was he had to deal with. With his family with him he was confident that there was nothing that he could not handle.

He made his way through the expansive house and exited through the front door, noting that the land that the home was situated on was more than sufficient for him to complete his morning run. He took a deep breath of the thick and refreshing air before setting off around the outskirts of the property simply enjoying the mild morning and the rising sun in the distance.

He found that the grounds of Potter Manor were beautiful, well kept and a perfect place for this part of his morning routine, noticing that the property was very isolated and largely surrounded by woodlands, a far cry from the urban living he had experienced throughout his life thus far. The Potter's clearly liked their privacy, something that Harry could certainly appreciate.

The wildlife seemed to share his opinion of the property as he could hear the calls of several different animals, both of the muggle and magical variety, though the only thing he did see were a few Thestral's milling around within the shallows of a distant tree line that disappeared within the thicker confines of the forest as he neared them.

He finished his run and completed the rest of his exercises before entering the house once again to fetch some water from the kitchen. It was still early and he had no idea what time the rest of the occupants would wake so he opted to wait for them before having his breakfast and decided that he would pass the time by reading, not wanting to rouse anyone prematurely with his spell work.

He entered the kitchen and noticed that he in fact was not the only person awake. Sirius was sat at the kitchen table, clutching a mug of hot chocolate with a contemplative expression on his face.

"Hey Sirius" Harry greeted the boy.

Sirius jumped at the unexpected intrusion and breathed a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Harry.

"Hey Harry" he greeted the teen with a shake of his head.

"Are you always up this early?" Harry questioned with a frown, noting that it was barely 6am.

Sirius shook his head in the negative.

"I couldn't really sleep" he admitted hesitantly. "I'm just trying to decide what I should do" he added with a shrug.

"About what?" Harry asked as he poured himself a glass of water.

Sirius sighed.

"Everything I guess" he said quietly.

"Such as?" Harry asked further with a frown.

"I feel like I'm in the way now" the boy answered simply, hanging his head.

"What do you mean?" Harry returned.

Sirius looked at him speculatively and sighed again.

"It's just that you obviously haven't spent much time with James and your parents over the years and it just feels like me being here now isn't right" he began sadly. "I don't hold that against you, this is your family I just don't want to be in the way of you all catching up" he finished with a deep swallow.

Harry sighed and shook his head at the boy.

"That's complete bollocks" he stated simply.

Sirius's head snapped up and he looked at Harry curiously.

"From what I've heard you are just as much a member of this family as I am" Harry continued. "You might be even more so" he added. "You're right, I haven't spent much time with them but the last thing you are is in the way" he said firmly.

He sighed again before continuing.

"I don't know much about your home life but given the fact that you've spent a lot of time here over the years, I'm guessing it's not good" he deduced. "I don't want anything for anyone to change in this house and that includes you" he explained sincerely. "I don't want to come between you and James in anyway, yes, he is my brother, but from what I know, you're just as much a brother to him and I don't want you to think that has to change in any way, hell I'd like to get to know you better too, you seem like a decent guy" he concluded genuinely.

"You really mean that?" Sirius questioned hopefully.

Harry nodded.

"It doesn't take the same blood to be family Sirius and as far as I'm concerned, you will always be welcome here, so don't ever think you're in the way because you belong here just as much as me" he finished honestly.

Sirius smiled and let out a deep breath of relief.

"I'd like to get to know you too Harry" he responded. "And thank you, being here means everything to me, I can't go back there" he explained with a shake of his head.

"You don't have to" Harry pointed out flatly.

Unknown to the pair the conversation they had shared was heard by Dorea who was now smiling at the duo from just outside the kitchen.

"Good morning you two" she greeted them as she entered the room. "And why are you up so early?" she questioned.

"I'm pretty sure Sirius was coming up with a way to get James back for the prank yesterday" Harry answered. "And I went for a run" he shrugged.

"Where did you run?" Dorea asked urgently.

"Just around the grounds" Harry answered with a frown.

Dorea's eyes went wide.

"Oh, I'm sorry Harry, we should have told you not to go out there before sunrise, there are sometimes some unfriendly creatures closer to the house" she explained apologetically.

"You mean the Thestral's? Harry asked curiously.

"You saw them?" Dorea questioned worriedly. "Are you ok?"

Harry shook his head.

"Thestrals are only dangerous if you provoke them" he replied. "I've ridden one before" he added casually.

Dorea shook her head at the boy but didn't question him further on the matter. From the very little that Charlus had shared with her she knew that riding a Thestral was a very small thing.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked Sirius, noting that the boy was pouting slightly while staring into his cup.

"My hot chocolate is cold" he huffed.

"Are you not a wizard?" Harry chuckled.

"Aunt Dorea took my wand" Sirius muttered unhappily.

"And why did I take your wand Sirius?" Dorea cut in with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I hexed James after he hexed me" Sirius grumbled.

"And what did you learn?" she asked expectantly.

"That muggle wedgies should not be given magically" Sirius sighed, although the smirk he wore contradicted his opinion on the matter.

"And that grin is why I still have your wand" Dorea pointed out.

Sirius pouted again.

"Can you at least warm up my drink" he pleaded as both James and Charlus entered the kitchen.

"No" Dorea answered simply and took a sip of tea.

Sirius looked affronted by the very though of drinking cold hot chocolate and looked towards Harry pleadingly.

"Alright" Harry chuckled as he picked up Sirius's mug and warmed the contents before passing it back to the boy.

Sirius just stared at him incredulously.

"What?" Harry questioned.

"You just did wandless magic" Sirius stated disbelievingly. "Can you teach me?" he asked excitedly.

"I can try" Harry agreed. "But there are very few people capable of doing it and it's very limited to certain spells" he warned.

Sirius nodded enthusiastically.

"He's going to teach me how to do a patronus" James cut in eagerly.

"You can do that?" Dorea questioned with raised eyebrows.

Harry just nodded.

"I want to learn that too" Sirius piped up.

Harry just shook his head and chuckled again.

"I'll teach you too" he conceded. "But again it takes a lot of power to be able to do it" he explained.

"Can I see?" Sirius asked keenly.

Harry shared a look with James who nodded his consent. Harry didn't want to give away the boy's secret to his parents, he was sure they would not be happy to learn that he had been dabbling in potentially dangerous magic.

He flicked his wand into his hand and released his stag, that cantered around the room looking for any signs of danger.

"Prongs" Sirius whispered, his eyes wide in awe.

His statement fortunately went unnoticed by the two older Potter's as they too were enraptured by the ethereal creature bounding audibly around the room, bathing it in warmth and a bright white light.

After a few moments Harry ended the spell and Sirius stared at him and shook his head.

"You have to teach me that" he all but demanded.

"I will when we get to school and you have your wand back" Harry agreed with a smirk.

Sirius huffed at the reminder that he did not have his wand.

"What is in your wand Harry?" Charlus broke in. "You said you outgrew your old one" he reminded the teen.

"I did" Harry sighed. "I had to have this made for me" he explained. "It's ebony and purple heart fused together with amethyst" he said, indicating the wand in his hand.

"And the core?" Charlus inquired further.

"Thestral hair and Ukrainian Ironbelly heartstring" Harry answered.

Charlus let out a low whistle.

"I've never heard of Thestral hair in a wand" he mused. "Nor Ukrainian IronBelly for that matter" he added with a shake of his head.

"Aren't they extinct?" Dorea asked with a frown.

Harry nodded.

"You can still get the parts though if you know where to go" he shrugged.

Dore just shook her head.

"So what are you boy's planning today?" she questioned with a slight suspicious tone to her voice.

"Quidditch" James answered immediately. "I want to see how good Harry is on a broom and see if he takes after his talented older brother" he elaborated with a grin.

"Do be careful" Dorea implored. "Your father and I will be going to the alley today to collect your school things" she informed them.

"Can't we go?" James asked with a frown.

"Harry is going to draw a lot of attention to us James" Charlus pointed out. "We'd rather wait until you are back at school before we have to deal with it all" he explained.

"It's ok" Harry cut in. "You can all go, I still need to do my spell work" he offered, happy that he could have a chance to do it alone.

"Are you sure?" Dorea queried. "We do need to get James fitted for new robes?" she mused aloud.

"It's fine" Harry assured her. "I've got everything I need except for my books" he added genuinely.

"Ok" Dorea reluctantly agreed. "We won't be too long, go and get yourselves ready" she instructed both James and Sirius.

The two left the table to prepare for their trip and Dorea turned to Harry.

"There is a training room in the basement you can use for your running and whatever else you need" she informed him reluctantly, not enjoying the fact that the boy was pushing himself the way he was.

"You should be able to use any spell you want, just no Fiendfyre" Charlus warned.

"Fiendfyre?" Dorea whimpered.

"Come one love, let's get ready ourselves" Charlus suggested, leading his wife from the room.

Harry shook his head amusedly.

He understood why Dorea would be worried, but he knew he had no choice but to prepare as much as he could for what was coming.

After the other Potter's and Sirius left, Harry made his way to the basement and smiled at what he saw. It had everything he would need to keep pushing himself and he would push himself as far as he needed to go to get the job done.

 _(BREAK)_

It was a few hours later that the Potter's and Sirius returned from their shopping excursion having retrieved everything that the boys would be needing for the upcoming school year.

"Harry, we're back" Dorea called as the group entered the kitchen. "Harry?" she called again louder when she got no response.

"He'll still be in the basement" Charlus interjected.

"It's been 3 hours" Dorea balked.

"We'll get him" James offered, gesturing between himself and Sirius.

"No, put your things away" She instructed. "I'll get him" she sighed, exiting the kitchen.

She entered the basement only to be stopped in her tracks by what she saw.

Harry was shirtless, expertly wielding a flame whip and gouging lumps out of a training dummy with clearly practiced precision.

She watched in a mixture of awe and horror as he ended the spell, sent a severing charm towards the dummy, quickly conjured a dagger and disappeared completely silently. He appeared behind another dummy and rammed the dagger through the back of its skull just as the severing charm cleaved the other in two.

The way in which he cast the magic left her simply dumfounded but it was the look on his face while doing so that left her horrorstruck.

It was a look of pure, unadulterated rage, his features twisted into an expression of hate with nothing short of murderous and malicious intent. His eyes glowed an eerie bright green; an emerald fire that sent a shiver down her spine.

When Harry caught sight of the woman his look softened back to the calm and warmth that she associated with him.

"I'm sorry" Harry spoke. "Do you need me for something?" he asked as he approached the woman.

Dorea swallowed.

"We are going to have lunch, I thought you'd like to join us before James and Sirius drag you off to fly" She explained.

"Thank you" Harry said gratefully with a soft smile as he turned to put his t–shirt back on.

Dorea's eyes widened as she noticed the sheer amount of scars the boy had.

"Where on Earth did all those come from" She questioned, pointing a shaky finger at the marred flesh.

"Let's just say the relatives that raised me weren't particularly keen on magic" Harry responded, not wanting to regale anything specific about being raised by the Dursley's.

Dorea nodded sadly.

"And that one?" she asked pointing to his right arm where the scar was thick and very deep.

Harry sighed.

He didn't want to go into details about it but he wouldn't lie to the woman, he had already promised himself that he wouldn't after all.

"A basilisk" he answered quietly.

"When did you come across a basilisk" she asked weakly, running a finger over the scar.

"When I was twelve, I killed it with a sword" he explained.

Dorea shook her head.

She could see that he was telling the truth and it pained her to know that the boy had endured so much in his life.

"Can you keep a secret?" Harry asked with a grin.

"That depends what it is" Dorea returned through narrowed eyes.

Harry just smirked and flicked his wand, summoning a large cobra.

" _Which sssstupid human isss ssssummoning me from my dinner?"_ the snake hissed angrily, rearing up menacingly and opening it's hood in displeasure.

" _I apologissssse my friend, I will feed you whatever you want I jusssst wanted you to meet my grandmother"_ Harry replied apologetically.

Dorea's mouth dropped in shock and she swelled internally at the pride she felt.

" _You will feed me a juicccy rabbit or I will bite you"_ the cobra threatened seriously.

" _Be niccce and ssssay hello and I will ssssend you back with two rabbitsssss"_ Harry promised.

The snake looked at him calculatingly before relaxing, becoming placid and compliant.

" _You have a deal sssspeaker, but do not try and trick me"_ the snake agreed cautiously.

Harry held his hand out and the cobra slithered up his arm and rested on his shoulder, staring at Dorea when he was comfortable.

"You can touch him, he won't bite" Harry assured her.

Dorea tentatively reached out a hand and stroked the creature, still marveling at the ability of the boy.

"You're a parselmouth" She stated flatly.

Harry just nodded and smiled.

"I think we can keep this our little secret" she agreed with a smile of her own. "Both James and Sirius are not particularly tolerant of anything considered dark" she sighed.

"They'll learn" Harry said soothingly while transfiguring the dagger he had conjured into a rabbit which the snake immediately struck down and devoured.

" _Thank you ssssspeaker, but you promised two"_ the snake reminded Harry who chuckled.

He complied and transfigured another rabbit for the serpent.

" _You know, you'll get fat if you keep eating like that"_ Harry deadpanned before vanishing the now glaring cobra.

Dorea sighed.

"You know, I wish you didn't feel like you had to do all of this" she said sadly.

"So do I" Harry whispered. "But I have to protect you all, no matter what and I will do whatever is necessary to do that" he declared firmly.

Dorea nodded.

"I know" she mumbled emotionally. "You're a good boy Harry, just please try to be careful" she pleaded as she pulled him into a hug.

Harry immediately stiffened, not being used to such affection.

"I'm sorry" Dorea stammered as she pulled away, noticing how tense the boy was.

Harry shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm just not used to it" he explained with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

He saw the look of anguish on her face and he sighed and pulled her into a hug as best he could.

"I guess I should get used to it though" he conceded and couldn't stop a smile forming on his lips as the woman returned the hug happily.

"You should" Dorea mumbled. "Now how about we get some food before Sirius eats it all" she suggested only half jokingly.

Harry chuckled and led the way into the kitchen where the other members of the house were eating.

"It's ok, he hasn't shoved it all down yet" Harry observed loudly as the pair entered the room.

"What do you mean?" Sirius questioned with a frown, his mouth full of food.

"How do you know I meant you?" Harry returned.

Sirius just shrugged and reached for the plate of chicken, which Harry wandlessly summoned away from the boy and offered it to Dorea.

"Oi" Sirius yelled, obviously affronted.

"We are going flying" Harry reminded him. "If you eat much more you'll spew" he warned.

Sirius just huffed and pouted.

"I always tell him that but he doesn't listen" James cut in. "He eats like a Niffler too" he pointed out.

"I do not" Sirius whined petulantly.

"Half of your food is on your top" James sighed, gesturing to the soiled garment.

"I have a healthy appetite" Sirius proclaimed.

"For a Hippogriff" Charlus piped up causing both James and Harry to snort amusedly.

Sirius shook his head.

"It's bad enough with two of you against me but three is just unfair" he sighed in mock sadness.

"Don't worry Sirius" Harry comforted the boy with a pat on the shoulder. "We still get to have some revenge on James for the prank he pulled on you yesterday" Harry pointed out.

Sirius's eyes lit up mischievously.

"What?" James questioned fearfully. "You were in on it too" he reminded the pair.

"It was your idea and you're supposed to be a good influence on me, you're older" Harry responded with a grin.

James looked towards his parent's who merely shrugged at his predicament.

"Thanks" he muttered sarcastically with a scowl.

"Maybe you deserve a taste of your own medicine" Dorea replied. "Now why don't you go flying and forget about your silly pranks" she suggested with a raised eyebrow.

James immediately shot to his feet and ran to fetch his broom.

"Come on Harry" Sirius encouraged " Let's see what you're made" he requested taking the boy by the arm and leading him from the room.

Charlus chuckled.

"They are in for a surprise" he stated gleefully.

"What do you mean?" Dorea asked.

"Come and watch, you'll see" Charlus answered with a smirk.

It was less than five minutes later that found the Potter's and Sirius on the grounds of the manor ready to take flight.

"I haven't flown this yet, just give me a minute to see how it is" Harry requested, gesturing to his brand new broom.

James and Sirius both shrugged and Harry kicked off from the ground for the first time in months.

He immediately felt comfortable on the broom and instinctively knew what it was capable of. It was no firebolt but it was very good considering it was a much more basic model.

"Ok, release the snitch" he instructed James who was holding the tiny ball in his hand.

He did and Harry counted to ten before he tore after it, pushing the broom to its very limits.

The other's watched on in sheer amazement as Harry pursued the snitch, never losing sight of it once.

They watched as he corkscrewed, rolled and climbed with ease, gasping as he became little more than a dark speck in the distance.

Harry was having the most fun he had had for a very long time and was not aware of anything other than the snitch, his attention focused solely on the glint of gold.

The snitch descended vertically at full speed and Harry followed it knowing that it was his and it would not allude him any longer.

He caught the ball and only just managed to pull up in time to avoid crashing, the tips of his toes skimming the grass below.

He grinned triumphantly as he turned to face the others, only to be caught off guard by three looks of shock and a smirking Charlus.

Dorea shook of her shock and it was replaced by a look of relief.

"Can you not do anything safely?" she questioned weakly. "You damn near gave me a heart attack" she chided, smacking him on the shoulder.

Harry could see she was going to go on a rant so he put a stop to it by pulling her into a hug.

"Sorry Mum" he said sincerely.

Dorea choked on her next words and just hugged the boy tightly not knowing what to say.

"How did you do that?" James asked with a whisper.

"Good genetics" Harry shrugged with a grin.

James smiled and shook his head knowingly.

"Merlin's balls, that was bloody amazing" Sirius proclaimed.

Harry just shrugged and dragged his hand through his hair.

"Are we having a game then?" he asked.

James nodded enthusiastically.

"Dad, are you in?" he questioned the man.

"It's been a while" Charlus mused. "Oh go on then" he conceded with a smile.

The four males spent the afternoon flying while Dorea watched and continuously shook her head and covered her eyes as they performed risky and flat out dangerous moves, but she was very pleased that things were going well considering that Harry had only been with them for less than two days, yet he was already fitting in nicely with the dynamic of the home.

 _(BREAK)_

It was later on that very evening that the Potter parents were getting ready for bed with Dorea lost in her own thoughts. She let out a long sigh and shook her head from the conflicted emotions she was feeling.

"What is it love?" Charlus asked.

"Harry" Dorea replied simply. "What are we going to do about him?" she added worriedly.

"There's not much we can do Dor" Charlus returned unhappily. "I don't like it anymore than you do but it's the way it is" he explained.

"But he's just a boy Charlus" she tried desperately.

Charlus shook his head.

"He might be only sixteen but he is not a boy" he stated firmly. "I've seen everything in his head and he's never been a child, not really" he concluded darkly.

Dorea sighed again.

"But what can we do?" she asked almost pleadingly.

"We give him a home and we give him some much needed love" Charlus answered. "We can't stop him, but we can make it easier" he said in a placating manner.

Dorea nodded.

"I saw him training earlier and he's terrifying" she admitted in a whisper. "He has so much hate and anger in him" she added with a shudder.

"He does" Charlus agreed. "But it's understandable after everything he's been through".

"I don't even think I want to know" she mumbled. "The basilisk is enough".

"He told you about that?" Charlus asked with a smirk.

"Yeah and shared a secret with me about snakes" she replied warmly.

"I knew you'd like that" Charlus pointed out flatly. "Did he mention the dragon?" he questioned her amusedly.

"What bloody dragon?" She asked dangerously.

"I guess not" Charlus muttered. "How do you think I knew he was a damn good flier?" he added.

"He flew with a dragon?" she responded disbelievingly.

"Not by choice Charlus" grumbled.

"And why the hell would he have to fly with a dragon?" Dorea inquired.

"Well, I guess he didn't have to do it that way" Charlus mused mysteriously.

Seeing the impatient expression his wife wore he sighed.

"If you want to have an idea of how good the boy is, he won the Triwizard Tournament when he was fourteen" he explained.

"Does the boy have a death wish?" Dorea sighed.

"He didn't enter himself, he was forced into it" Charlus pointed out. "The details aren't important" he added dismissively. "Look Dor, Harry is going to do what he thinks he needs to, no matter what anyone says and if we try to stop him then it will only push him away" he concluded.

Dorea bit her bottom lip worriedly.

"I just don't want him to lose himself, he's a good boy Charlus, I can see it" she said confidently.

"He is" Charlus agreed. "But he has been trained by the best to be the way he is, that's why I think he and James and even Sirius are good for each other" he finished certainly.

Dorea nodded her agreement.

"He looked so happy when he was flying" she concluded with a smile.

"He was and James and Sirius seem to relax him, he actually smiles, properly smiles when they are together" he observed. "Harry needs to relax and the other two need to grow up a little, I'm hoping they will balance each other out" he explained.

"I hope so" Dorea whispered.

She hated the fact that Harry was shouldering so much responsibility but knew herself that he could not be stopped no matter how much she wanted to. She just hoped that Charlus was right and that they could just be there for him when he needed it.

Her husband was right about the dynamic of the trio; they did seem to balance each other out well, something she was pleased by. She just prayed that it would continue when they arrived at Hogwarts.

 _(BREAK)_

The rest of the holidays passed in a similar fashion. Harry would train in the morning and then the trio would pass the rest of the day by flying and just spending time together, growing more and more close as the days passed.

The only thing of real note that occurred was when Harry received a short missive from Dumbledore requesting that he make his way to the castle with the first years for the sorting, much to the annoyance of Charlus.

 _Flashback_

The family had just sat down to breakfast a few days before the start of term was due to begin when they were interrupted by the arrival of an owl that immediately flew to Harry and offered the boy it's leg.

Harry took the letter, read it and sighed.

"What is it?" Dorea asked.

"Dumbledore wants me to go with the first years across the lake when we get to Hogwarts" he explained.

"What bloody difference will that make?" Charlus questioned irritably. "He'd get to the castle just fine in the carriages" he pointed out.

"Maybe he just wants Harry to experience everything properly" Dorea cut in.

Charlus shook his head and turned to face Harry.

"If Dumbledore takes more of an interest in you beyond being your headmaster I want you to write to us immediately" he instructed firmly.

Harry just nodded his agreement.

He of course wanted Dumbledore as an ally but did not want the man attempting to control him in any way.

"Good" Charlus stated. "Because if he doesn't keep his crooked nose out of our family business so help me I will curse his wrinkled old arse" he vowed angrily.

"Charlus!" Dorea scolded.

"He's an interfering old git" Charlus retorted heatedly.

"Take a walk and calm down Charlus" Dorea instructed sternly.

Charlus sighed and nodded before exiting the kitchen, still grumbling about Dumbledore.

"Dad's not a fan of Dumbledore, he thinks he's a wankstain" James explained.

"James" Dorea growled warningly.

"Dad's words, not mine" James shrugged.

Dorea just shook her head.

 _End Flashback_

The group found themselves on platform 9 ¾ fifteen minutes before the train would depart, James hidden under his invisibility cloak so that the trio could prank Remus and Peter, someone Harry that was not looking forward to meeting.

"Have you got everything" Dorea asked sadly.

"Yes mum" Harry replied with a smirk.

Dorea smiled and shook her head. Harry calling her that never failed to make her smile happily.

"I do wish you would come out of there James" Dorea sighed, looking to where she believed her son was.

"No" James answered petulantly.

Dorea shook her head again.

"What about you, have you got everything Sirius?" she questioned the boy with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe" Sirius shrugged.

"I'll send anything I find" She responded. "Do try and behave, all of you" she said warningly.

"We will" Harry and Sirius answered in unison with matching mischievous grins.

"Can I have a quick word Harry?" Charlus cut in.

Harry nodded and stepped to the side with the man.

"Remember what I said about not holding things against people" he reminded the boy. "I know it's hard but please try, Peter is one of their best friends, maybe you can help him" Charlus implored. "It will makes things very difficult between you all if you're hostile towards him" he explained.

Harry nodded reluctantly.

"Ok" he conceded. "But if he steps out of line then he's fair game" Harry warned.

"Agreed" Charlus responded. "Just try and give the boy a chance, you have the opportunity to maybe help him, he's not as strong as the rest of you maybe having you around will be enough " he shrugged.

"Maybe" Harry agreed, though he definitely had his doubts.

"Good boy" Charlus praised and pulled the boy into a hug. "The house is going to be empty without you boy's there" he mused sadly.

"We will be home for Christmas" Harry reminded him.

Charlus smiled.

"It will be your first family Christmas, expect Dorea to go overboard" he warned.

Harry shook his head amusedly.

"Thank you for everything" he said sincerely.

"You're family Harry" Charlus returned casually. "And no matter how we look at it you are our son, that's how it feels to both myself and Dorea" he explained. "She insists she is too young to be a grandmother" he added with a whisper.

Harry laughed.

"It's a good thing that I don't see it that way then" he chuckled.

The duo returned to the other group and Dorea shot Charlus a questioning look.

"Father son talk" Charlus shrugged.

Dorea nodded and smiled.

"You'd best get on the train then" she instructed sadly.

Harry pulled her into a hug.

"We'll write" he promised. "And you will see us at Christmas" he reminded her.

"I know" she sighed. "I'll miss you all" she added sincerely.

"What, even cleaning up after that slob?" Harry asked, pointing at Sirius.

"Oi" Sirius protested.

"Even that" Dorea agreed with a chuckle.

"Come on Sirius, lets get you on the train before you somehow make a mess on the platform" Harry declared, taking the boy by the arm who huffed grumpily.

"Bye boys" Dorea called after them.

Harry and Sirius waved as they entered the train to find an empty compartment.

They were around half way down the length of the train when a compartment door slid open and the occupant leaving walked straight into Harry and fell straight on to their backside.

Harry's breath hitched in his chest as he immediately recognised the long red hair of his mother.

He quickly shook himself from his shock and offered the girl his hand.

"Sorry about that" he said sincerely. "I didn't see you there" he added.

"It's ok" Lily replied taking the hand and pulling herself to her feet.

She caught sight of Harry and immediately pulled her hand away disgustedly and scowled at him.

"Like you didn't do it on purpose Potter" she growled irritably as she pushed her way past them.

"Excuse me, I don't think we've met" Harry returned confusedly.

Lily huffed.

"You're such an arse you know, just leave me alone" she demanded angrily.

Harry shot a look towards Sirius who just shrugged.

"Evans" he clarified. "She hates James but he loves her" he finished in a swooning tone. "Ouch" he yelped as James kicked him from under the cloak. "Come on" he sighed, rubbing the back of his leg.

The trio managed to find an empty compartment a little further on and took their seats to wait for the other two boys.

"How long do you think it will take for them to work it out?" James asked excitedly.

"About ten seconds if you don't shut up" Sirius retorted.

"They won't get here yet" James replied dismissively. "Remus and Peter's mum's dote on them ridiculously" he explained to Harry.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"Here they come" Sirius whispered a few moments later leaning casually against the wall of the compartment.

The door opened and Harry immediately recognized the two boys.

Remus looked as he ever did just much younger whereas Peter looked rather different, less rodent like.

'Maybe spending so long as a rat made him look more like one' he mused to himself.

"Your mum finished wiping your nose then Moony" Sirius stated questioningly as they entered.

"Oh shut up Padfoot" Remus grumbled, taking a seat opposite Harry.

"She actually did wipe his nose" Peter snickered.

Remus shot him a dirty look.

"At least my Mum didn't leave lipstick on my cheek" he pointed out with a smug grin.

Peter frowned and began attempting to remove the red gunk from his face, only managing to make it more pink than red.

"How's it going Prongs?" Remus questioned looking towards the boy for the first time and frowning.

"Can't complain" Harry shrugged casually.

"You look different" Remus returned, looking at him calculatingly.

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned irritably.

"You look more refined and less scruffy" Remus answered after a moment.

Harry just shook his head at the boy.

"You are different" Peter cut in, shaking his head.

"You don't have a scent" Remus exclaimed loudly, getting to his feet.

"I told you we shouldn't have used scent charms" Harry sighed.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked worriedly.

"It's you fault" James grumbled, removing the cloak and pointed at Sirius.

"All I said was he might smell the difference" Sirius pointed out.

"What the hell is going on" Remus questioned clearly shocked, looking between James and Harry.

"This is my brother Harry" James introduced the boy. "This is Remus and Peter" he added to the other boy.

"Brother?" Remus asked weakly. "You never mentioned a brother" he hissed, shooting a glance toward Harry.

"Even I didn't know about Harry until a couple of weeks ago" Sirius chimed in, attempting to placate the werewolf. "Family secret" he shrugged.

"Where the bloody hell has he been?" Remus questioned with a frown.

"Privately tutored" James replied dismissively.

"You're twins?" Peter piped up wide eyed.

"We are" James confirmed with a grin.

Remus just shook his head.

"You could've just introduced him" he growled irritably.

"You got off easy, believe me" Sirius muttered grumpily.

"I'm sorry" Remus sighed. "As he said, I'm Remus" he introduced himself and offered Harry his hand.

"It's nice to meet you Moony" Harry replied, taking the boy's hand and smiling warmly.

Remus's eyes went wide and a look of fear came over him.

"You know?" he asked weakly.

"We had to tell him" James interjected. "He would have worked it out straight away" he explained.

Remus swallowed deeply and began to shake.

"And it doesn't bother you?" he questioned Harry, looking down at the floor.

"Not at all" Harry answered sincerely. "Your secret is safe with me" he promised.

Remus breathed a sigh of relief and nodded gratefully.

"Thank you" he whispered emotionally.

"One of the greatest men I knew was a werewolf" Harry mused. "I learnt some of my most powerful magic from him" he added with a smile.

"Really?" Remus questioned.

"Really" Harry confirmed with a firm nod.

"I'm Peter" the other boy cut in, also offering Harry his hand.

Harry sighed inwardly, but remembered what Charlus had said.

"It's nice to meet you Peter" he replied shaking the boy's hand.

Peter smiled and nodded.

"So why are you here now?" Remus asked.

"Mum and Dad wanted me home because of the war" Harry shrugged.

"Why were you privately tutored?" Peter inquired.

"Because he's gifted" Sirius answered dismissively. "We have things to plan" he stated. "You have all year to grill him" he finished with a shake of his head.

Both Harry and James sighed inwardly with relief as the group settled in and spent the rest of the journey talking and planning some pranks they wanted to pull off over the year.

 _(BREAK)_

The group departed the train after it had pulled in to Hogsmeade and Harry split away, reminding James and Sirius that he had to go with the first years.

"You better be in Gryffindor" Sirius grumbled. "I couldn't stand it if you were a snake, you would bring shame on us all" he warned with a smirk.

"I might ask the hat to put me in Slytherin just to piss you off" Harry replied casually. "Mum would love it" he shrugged.

Sirius looked affronted as James pulled him away, shaking his head at the boy.

With that Harry made his way towards the large silhouette that was Hagrid on the other end of the platform.

"'ello there 'arry" the half giant greeted him with a smile.

"Hey Hagrid" he responded happily.

"Professor Dumbledore tol' me yeh'd be 'ere, yeh got it worked ou' then?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you my real name, family secret and all" he explained.

"No worries" Hagrid said dismissively. "I understan' tha'" he added.

Harry just smiled and got into a boat by himself noting that it seemed much smaller than when he had used them in his first year, but then again the small children around him were tiny.

'I couldn't have been that small' he thought to himself with a shake of his head.

He immediately noticed that there was at the very least triple the amount of first years now compared to when he started, and the problem that Croaker had explained to him was immediately apparent.

He shook his head at the thought as the boats began to move across the surface of the lake.

Before he knew it the boat trip was complete and Hagrid was leading the large group up to the front doors of the castle, banging on them with his large fist once he had reached them.

The doors opened revealing a much younger looking Professor McGonagall who looked at the students calculatingly before nodding her head, seemingly pleased.

"Thank you Hagrid" she stated neutrally before ushering the students in.

She began speaking to them all and Harry immediately recognized the words as being exactly the same speech she gave to him on his first day of Hogwarts.

'She must have practiced that a lot' he mused internally.

His thoughts were interrupted as the stern witch descended on him.

"I assume that you are Mr. Potter" she addressed him, tight lipped.

"I am" Harry confirmed.

"You will wait in here to be called" She explained. "And I hope for the sake of the school that you are not like your brother, heaven knows one is bad enough" she sighed and led the rest of the students into the Great Hall to be sorted.

It was close to an hour later that the door opened once more and a younger but no less cantankerous Filch beckoned him into the room as Dumbledore was about to introduce him.

Harry immediately noticed that there was indeed considerably more students than he was used to seeing in the castle, a reminder of how devastating the war had been on the wizarding population.

"And finally we have one last student to sort who will be attending our sixth year classes" the headmaster informed the room. "He joins us from having been privately educated so please give a warm welcome to Harry Potter" he finished, gesturing for Harry to approach.

Immediately a large amount of whispering could be heard throughout the room as his name was announced causing Harry to shake his head as he made his way to the front of the hall.

'Just like first year' he sighed inwardly.

He took a seat on the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head, stepping away after she did so.

" _Hmm, how very interesting you are Mr. Potter"_ the hat began.

Harry shook his head.

" _Is this the part that you tell me I would be great in Slytherin?"_ He asked.

" _Oh no, no, the house of the snakes is not for you, you cannot lead the light from the darkness after all"_ the hat explained. _"The darkness there is mostly irredeemable, but there are a few that can be saved, remember that Mr. Potter"_ it said seriously. _"No, there is only one place to put you, though you do share the qualities of all houses, your courage is undeniable and most prominent as displayed by yourself on many occasions"_ it finished knowingly.

" _So why the delay?"_ Harry questioned with a frown.

The hat chuckled.

" _I haven't seen Albus look this nervous in years, it entertains me"_ the hat replied.

" _So you like a good joke then"_ Harry mused. _"How would you like to be a part of a prank?"_ he offered.

" _I'm all ears, figuratively speaking"_ the hat returned gleefully.

 _(BREAK)_

"What the hell is taking so long?" Sirius whispered furiously though it was clear he was nervous.

"Calm down Padfoot" James soothed, though it was clear that he was even more nervous than the other boy.

"Gryffindor!" the hat finally shouted, eliciting sighs of relief from both boy's as they joined in the cheering that had erupted around them.

"What took so long?" Sirius asked as Harry joined them at the table.

Harry smirked.

"I just got us an ally for number 73" Harry replied with a grin.

Sirius's eyes went wide at the revelation.

"The hat?" he asked disbelievingly.

"It's perfect" James declared having quickly figured out how it could be used.

"Good job Harry" Sirius praised.

It was then that the plates filled up with food and the boy's tucked into the feast hungrily.

Dumbledore stood again as the final vestiges of dessert had been cleared from the plates and smiled warmly at the students.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts" he greeted them, his eyes twinkling. "Firstly, the forbidden forest is out of bounds to all students" he sighed, shooting a glance directly where the sixth year Gryffindor boy's were sat. "Mr. Filch would of course like to remind you that there is to be no magic in the corridors and a revised list of prohibited items can be found stuck to his office door" he informed them.

"Yeah like anyone wants to go near there" Sirius scoffed.

"I would also like to welcome back Professor Mortlake, who has consented to return after a year away to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts" Dumbledore added.

"Ahh shit" James whispered.

"What?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Mortlake is a bastard and he hates us" Sirius cut in with a rueful shake of the head.

"We did spike his pumpkin juice with hair growing potion" Peter pointed out.

"Good times" Sirius sighed dreamily.

"Watch out for him, he probably already hates you" Remus warned as he stood, noticing that the hall was now starting to empty.

The group made their way up to the seventh floor and into the Gryffindor common room, taking the large comfortable chairs in the far corner.

"This is our area" James explained. "People know not to bother us here unless it is important" he added seriously.

Harry just nodded. He knew that the Marauder's had always been popular but he didn't realise it was to this extent.

"Ahh there's Frank" James cut in to his thoughts. "He'll want to meet you and we can get you a trial" he explained excitedly. "Oi, Frank" he called loudly getting the other boy's attention.

Harry immediately recognized Frank Longbottom as he approached them, he was very similar looking to Neville and Harry smiled at the thought of his old friend.

"Hey James, or is it Harry?" Frank greeted with an amused frown.

"Family secret" James shrugged.

"Understood" Frank replied knowingly, not questioning the issue further. "So you must be Harry" Frank stated, offering Harry his hand.

"I am" Harry confirmed shaking the offered limb.

"Frank Longbottom" Frank replied. "Head boy" he added with a smirk.

"Sell out" Sirius mumbled.

"I'd watch it Black, you'll find yourself scrubbing toilets without magic" Frank warned with a grin.

"You wouldn't" Sirius returned, horrified by the thought.

"Nah I wouldn't" Frank conceded. "But it would be funny" he added with a calculating look.

"Are you still captain this year?" James interjected impatiently.

"Yep, but we definitely need a new seeker" he sighed.

"We've got one" James returned triumphantly.

"Who?" Frank questioned.

James just pointed at Harry with a smug smile.

"Is he any good?" the other boy questioned.

"I shit you not Frank I watched him pull off a two hundred footer by the skin of his teeth, he's amazing" Sirius stated confidently.

Frank grinned.

"I'll see what you've got" he agreed. "We start next week" he informed them. "Now I better go and make sure the firsties aren't wetting themselves" he sighed.

"Catch ya later Frank" James called after him. "I told you we'd get you in" James pointed out gleefully to Harry.

Before he could reply, the group was interrupted by a gentle coughing and Harry turned to be faced by his mother once more along with another girl who was dark haired and fair skinned. Swallowing down the excitement he felt he cleared his throat before addressing her.

"Can I help you Miss?" he asked.

"You are Harry, right?" She questioned suspiciously.

"I am" he confirmed.

"Well, erm, I just wanted to apologise, for earlier on the train when we bumped into each other" she said shyly. "I thought you were that idiot" she added, glaring at James.

Harry smirked.

"It's ok" he assured the girl. "Don't worry".

Lily nodded.

"I just don't want you to think I'm a bitch" She explained. "Oh, I'm Lily by the way, Lily Evans" she introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you Lily" Harry replied genuinely taking the girl's offered hand.

"You two have the same colour eyes" the other girl piped up.

"For Merlin sake McKinnon they're eyes, they don't come in that many colours" Sirius grumbled.

"Hello Sirius" the girl greeted him. "I see you're still sulking because I refused to go to Hogsmeade with you" she stated casually.

"I am not" Sirius huffed, folding his arms and throwing himself into his seat.

"You keep telling yourself that, but my offer is still there" the girl replied with a mocking smile. "If you can keep your wand from other cauldrons then I'll think about it" she explained.

"Marlene!" Lily choked.

"Is she always that crass?" Harry asked, clearly amused.

"Yep, that's why Sirius likes her" James interjected.

"I bloody well don't" Sirius denied vehemently.

"Yes you do" Marlene cut in knowingly. "Think about it Sirius" She finished with a wink and walked away, purposely exaggerating the swaying of her hips.

Sirius sunk back further in his chair and groaned irritably.

"I'd better go, but it was nice to meet you Harry" Lily said warmly.

"You too, I'm sure I'll see you around" Harry responded with a smile.

"Looks like you've got competition Prongs" Remus chuckled as Lily walked away.

"Unlikely" James bit back confidently.

"She already likes him more than she does you" Remus pointed out.

"Believe me, Harry is not a threat where Evans is concerned" James replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Remus questioned with a frown.

"Because I'm not into redheads" Harry interjected firmly.

Remus just shrugged.

"Maybe we should head up" Peter suggested. "Early start and all that" he reminded them.

The others agreed and it was only fifteen minutes later that Harry was in bed enjoying being back at Hogwarts, only this time he was getting to experience it with his Father and godfather, though his thoughts did wander to his previous dorm mates and he hoped that whatever it was that he left behind was much better than what he had left.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry woke the next morning as early as he always did and collected his cloak and copy of the map before exiting the tower and began heading towards the room of requirement to complete his morning exercises and spell work.

As he thought it would the room provided him with an exact replica of the training room he had been using in Potter Manor and he gratefully completed his morning routine before heading back to the Gryffindor Tower to shower before he would have to leave for breakfast.

"Where have you been this early?" Remus asked.

"Harry gets up at the crack of dawn every day to train" Sirius explained with a distasteful shake of his head.

"What kind of training?" Remus asked further with a frown.

"We don't know" James cut in. "Mum doesn't let us in the room with him, says it's too dangerous" he shrugged.

Remus raised an eyebrow but didn't question the subject any further.

"What classes are you taking Harry?" Peter inquired curiously.

"Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Defense and creatures" Harry listed off.

"No Runes or Arithmancy?" Remus asked, clearly surprised.

"I study runes in my own time and can't stand Arithmancy, it's pointless unless you plan on being an enchanter" he shrugged. "You'll only find a bunch of nerds in Arithmancy" he added with a grin knowing full well that Remus took the subject.

"Oi, I study Arithmancy" the werewolf pointed out angrily.

"Really?" Harry asked in mock surprise. "I didn't think you could count to twenty one even if you were naked" he mumbled.

Sirius and James both roared in laughter while Peter stared confusedly.

"It's a penis joke Wormy" Remus explained irritably. "Hurry up and take a shower" he demanded, glaring at Harry.

Harry shook his head and went to take a shower, returning around fifteen minutes later so that the five of them could head to breakfast and get their timetables.

"Well you'll have at least two of us in all of your classes" Sirius informed Harry as they took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

Harry nodded and began piling his plate with scrambled eggs and brown toast.

"Wormy and Sirius do Creatures and all of us will be in the rest of them" James pointed out. "So you'll be fine" he shrugged.

"I didn't realise I needed to be baby sat" Harry sighed.

"It's safer" Peter piped up. "A lot of people here will just hate you" he added, shooting a glance at the Slytherin table.

Harry smirked.

"I don't doubt it" he returned knowingly. "They won't cause me any problems" he concluded darkly.

"You'll want to watch out for Snivellus, he will try to curse you to get at us" Sirius chimed in.

This time Harry chuckled.

"He can try, but he won't like the results" he deadpanned.

Before the conversation could go any further the group were interrupted by Professor McGonagall who handed them all their class schedules before sighing.

"Welcome to Gryffindor house Mr. Potter, please do not let these miscreants influence you too much" She implored. "Your grades are among the best I have seen, keep up your good work" She advised.

"Miscreants?" Sirius cut in with a mocking yelp. "You wound me Professor, I am a lovable rogue" he finished with a firm nod.

McGonagall rose and eyebrow at the boy but couldn't help the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

"You are a reprobate, Black" She surmised. "The only thing lovable about you is that we will finally be rid of you in two short years, a day I cannot wait for" she finished with an uncharacteristic smirk.

"Ouch Professor, that really hurt" Sirius returned, clutching his chest dramatically.

"For Merlin sake, go to class" she commanded and walked away shaking her head.

"Come on, Charms with the Puffs first" Remus pointed out, ushering the rest of the group from the hall.

"I haven't finished yet" Sirius grumbled.

"Should have thought about that before you flirted with McGonagall" James broke in.

"I wasn't flirting" Sirius whined.

"McGonagall Sirius, really?" Marlene intruded with a raised eyebrow as she joined them with Lily and another girl who looked vaguely familiar to Harry.

"Will you bugger off McKinnon I'm not interested" the boy replied irritably.

"Oh, because I was thinking that I need to buy new underwear and wanted your opinion on what I should get, the girls are getting too big" she sighed, pushing out her bust towards the boy.

Sirius whimpered slightly and shook his head.

"Not interested" he denied simply, though his tone was not convincing.

"He's very interested" Harry chimed in. "Pull yourself together Sirius, you look as though you might actually drool" he whispered loudly.

"I'm not bloody interested" Sirius growled and stormed ahead.

Harry just chuckled and shook his head at the boy.

"Hey Harry" Lily greeted him. "Looking forward to your first classes?" she asked.

Harry nodded.

"It will be interesting to see how Hogwarts is" he replied. "What's your favourite class?" he questioned.

"Charms and Potions" she answered immediately.

"Lily's the best in our year at charms" the other girl added.

"Sorry, I'm not sure we've met, I'm Harry" he introduced himself to the girl who had light brown hair and was very petite.

"Oh, I'm Alice Prince" the girl informed him conversationally. "What are you best at?" she asked.

'Neville's mum' he realised.

"I got my best grades in Charms and Defense" Harry shrugged. "And got O's in everything else too, but potions is my least favourite" he explained with a grimace.

"So you got an O+ in charms?" Lily questioned excitedly.

"And Defense" Harry replied proudly.

"Wow, you must be good, I think Lily was the only one to get an O+ in charms here" Alice said certainly.

"Then you must have worked very hard for it" Harry observed knowingly.

"A little" Lily agreed shyly.

The group entered the classroom and Harry took a seat next to Sirius as the girls split off and sat away from them.

"Still sulking?" he inquired.

"I'm not sulking" Sirius growled. "You're supposed to stick up for me, not help that banshee" he added, shaking his head while glaring at Marlene.

"We both know that you would have done the same if you were in my position" Harry pointed out. "And it's so obvious that you like her, you can't stop looking at those blue eyes" he added with a smirk.

"She has brown eyes" Sirius retorted.

"My point exactly" Harry returned triumphantly.

The others laughed as Sirius turned red and began mumbling incoherently.

"Alright class, settle down" Professor Flitwick squeaked as he entered the room.

The diminutive man looked exactly as Harry remembered, down to the white hair that rested on top of his head, he clearly didn't age much over the years.

"Today we are going to recap the spells we learnt last year" Flitwick informed them. "I want you to start with the Aguamenti Charm and then we will go from there" he explained.

Sirius had already drawn his wand and was whispering the charm causing a small amount of water to leak from the end of his wand.

"It won't work if you're angry" Harry muttered to the boy.

Sirius growled and continued his efforts, though the results did not improve.

" _Aguamenti"_ he hissed angrily causing a powerful jet of water to erupt from his wand and sending the unprepared boy flying from his seat.

"On my command Mr. Black" Flitwick sighed. "You fired prematurely" he pointed out.

"Probably not the first time" Peter muttered.

The rest of the group looked at the boy in shock before bursting into a fit of laughter. Clearly Peter did not make jokes often.

"Bloody hell Wormy" Sirius deadpanned. "I can't even be mad at you for that one, that was good" he conceded reluctantly.

"Alright, settle down" Flitwick chided with a shake of his head. "We will do it one at a time" he decided. "Miss Evans" he called.

Lily approached the front of the class and performed the spell perfectly on her first attempt as did most of the class. Eventually Flitwick called Harry and he approached nervously.

The spell was largely based on power, was physical in nature and he knew that even reigned in he was much more powerful than the rest of the class by a considerable amount.

"Do not worry Mr. Potter, I'm sure you will be fine" Flitwick soothed, sensing the boy's nervousness.

"Erm, Professor, you might want to get them to put shields up" he whispered warningly. "Even when I hold back it's quite powerful" he explained.

"I'm sure it will be ok Mr. Potter" Flitwick said comfortingly.

Harry nodded his head reluctantly and sighed before flicking his wand into his hand and releasing a large burst of water from the tip of his wand, soaking most of the people in the room including the professor as it rebounded violently off the wall he was aiming at.

The students stared at him in complete shock, even Flitwick was surprised.

"That was you holding back?" he choked while water dripped from him liberally.

"I'm sorry, I did warn you" Harry pointed out.

"I won't ask you to demonstrate full power" the professor responded seriously. "Did you do that silently?" he asked with a light frown.

"My tutors were insistent on it sir" Harry responded.

"Very impressive" the professor observed. "Take a seat Mr. Potter" he instructed.

"Bloody hell Harry, I thought Sirius was joking when he said you were gifted" Remus balked.

"Sorry" Harry replied and began drying them off with his wand.

"Yes, that is a very good idea Mr. Potter, we will learn the Drying Charm as the situation calls for it" Flitwick announced, giving Harry a speculative look.

The rest of the class passed reasonably quickly and soon enough Harry, along with Peter and Sirius were heading towards his first Care of Magical Creatures class of the year.

"How did you get so powerful?" Peter asked as the trio made their way out of the castle.

Harry shook his head.

"You are born with it" he shrugged. "But power doesn't mean much it only influences certain types of spells" he explained.

"What do you mean?" Peter questioned.

"Well anything that has a physical effect like a blasting curse will be more destructive than average but things that take finesse like intricate transfigurations aren't effected by the amount of power as much" he elaborated. "That's why I train so much, I have a tonne of power but everything else takes just as much work and I want to be the best wizard I can be" he finished with a hint of determination.

Peter nodded his understanding.

"But it is helpful during duels" Sirius broke in.

"That's the thing it is most useful for" Harry agreed. "But again you want to be equal in all aspects of fighting" he said knowingly. "You can be the most powerful wizard in the world but you can be beaten if your opponent is quicker at movement and faster with their wand that's why I work on all of it" he informed them.

"I want to see you duel" Sirius all but demanded.

"I don't duel" Harry returned seriously. "Dueling is a sport, I fight" he added firmly.

"What's the difference?" Peter inquired.

"Fighting has no rules, and you aim to win by any means necessary" Sirius whispered, his eyes wide.

"Exactly" Harry confirmed darkly as they reached the paddock are where the class would take place.

"Alright class, gather round" Professor Merrythought instructed.

He was a rather squat man, probably around sixty years of age and was covered in a variety of scars, even missing a few fingers.

The class that consisted of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students complied and the man continued.

"Today we will be studying a creature that most of you won't be able to see" he explained excitedly.

Harry smiled in recognition knowing immediately what it was they would be working with.

"Wait here and keep back" the professor told them firmly as he disappeared into a thicket of trees, emerging a few moments later leading a Thestral towards them.

The class looked at the squat man as though he had gone insane when he seemingly returned empty handed.

"How many of you can see this beautiful fellow?" Merrythought questioned jovially.

Out of all the students Harry was the only one to raise his hand.

"Ahh Mr. Potter, I do hope you are much more responsible than your brother" he stated flatly. "Would you care to explain the Thestral to the class?, If you can of course" he asked.

Harry sighed.

"Thestrals are considered dark creatures because you can only see them if you have witnessed death" he began. "But that is a load of crap" he added with a shake of his head.

The was a lot of murmuring amongst the students after the concept of death was mentioned.

"And what is your opinion on them?" Merrythought inquired interestedly.

"They are very gentle and intelligent creatures that are simply misunderstood because of their association with death, but you would not want to provoke one, it would probably be the last thing you do" he finished sincerely.

"My thoughts exactly" the professor replied with a smile. "You sound as though you have experience with them" he said questioningly.

"I do" Harry confirmed with a smile, remembering riding one of the creatures.

"What does it look like?" a blonde Ravenclaw girl asked.

"Ahh, of course" Merrythought exclaimed. "This is what one looks like for those of you that cannot see it" he explained, unrolling a large piece of parchment with a drawing of the beast etched into it.

"That's creepy" the girl surmised, shivering slightly.

"It's beautiful" Lily disagreed.

"Indeed" Merrythought concurred. "Probably one of the most misunderstood creatures in our world" he mused sadly. "They are truly wonderful and very loyal if they are respected" he finished warningly. "I want you to spend the rest of the class discussing the physical characteristics of it and what you think of them" he instructed.

"What do you think Wormy?" Sirius asked.

"I think it would eat me the first chance it got" he replied worriedly.

"So would Moony, but you still knock around with him" Sirius pointed out. "I won't even ask what you think" he added with a look towards Harry. "You like weird things" he concluded with a shake of his head.

"I have to hanging around with you" Harry returned smartly.

"Why can't you let me have the last word?" Sirius grumbled.

"I will if you ask out McKinnon" Harry countered.

"Will you bloody shut up about McKinnon" Sirius retorted heatedly.

"You should just do it Padfoot" Peter advised. "The sexual tension between you to is disgusting, I'm sure I can smell the hormones coming from you both" he finished with a cringe.

"Imagine how bad it must be for Moony, poor guy" Harry cut in.

Peter chuckled.

"I didn't think of that, see Padfoot, you're being a bad friend now" he chided mockingly.

"I swear I will curse the pair of you in a minute" Sirius growled irritably.

"Fine" Harry conceded. "But you should just do it" he suggested.

Sirius spent the rest of the class in silence, occasionally glaring at the two others.

Once the class had been dismissed the trio made their way to the Great Hall for lunch where they met with Remus and James.

"How was creatures?" Remus asked as he helped himself to some potatoes.

"Fine" Harry shrugged.

"Only because you didn't have to put up with you idiots" Sirius grumbled moodily.

"What did they do now Padfoot?" Remus sighed with a smirk.

"They won't shut up about McKinnon" he huffed irritably.

"We won't until you admit you like her" James chimed in.

"I do not bloody like her, I'm not like you with Evans, asking her out every five minutes" he pointed out.

"She'll cave eventually" James returned confidently.

"Not likely Potter" Lily called from further up the table.

Harry shook his head.

"You know, if you want her to go out with you, you need to show a little maturity" Harry whispered. "You need to be more serious about things" he added knowingly.

"I'm always telling him he should be more me" Sirius piped up with a grin.

Harry face palmed and shook his head.

"A name joke, really?" he sighed.

"He always does it" Remus explained. "He's the only one that thinks it's funny though" he said exasperatedly.

"It is funny" Sirius griped.

"Hurry up and finish, we have to get to defense next" Remus replied with a shake of his head.

The group finished their lunch and made their way to the fourth floor corridor where they would have their first lessons with the Slytherin students, a stupid idea in Harry's opinion knowing that this was the most dangerous class and there was certainly no love loss between the two houses.

Upon entering the classroom Harry caught his first glimpse of the people he knew would one day become prominent members of Voldemort's inner circle and most vicious Death Eaters.

All of them very much looked like younger, yet healthier versions of their older selves, particularly those who had ended up in Azkaban for the duration of the Dark Lord's absence.

Among the students was Avery, Rookwood, the LeStrange brothers and Severus Snape. The most noticeable to Harry however was Bellatrix and he had to exercise all of his restraint not to curse the girl sitting there.

She was certainly the one in which the differences were most apparent. For one, she actually looked healthy and her hair was not dead and lank as he remembered. She was very regal looking with very delicate features, her near black eyes shining in their youth with more than a hint of violet within them when they were caught by the light.

He grudgingly admitted that she was indeed a very beautiful witch, though the thought disgusted him to his very core.

Strangely to the teen, she was not sitting with the rest of the people he had always associated her with. She sat alone at the front of the class simply ignoring every one else in the room, something that Harry was very grateful of because he was not entirely sure that he could trust himself not to kill her if she provoked him in any way.

He shook his head and took a seat with James and the others at the back of the classroom but their entry had not gone unnoticed and Rudolphus, along with Snape and Rabastan, glared at the Gryffindor boys with loathing clear on their faces.

Harry, for the life of him, could not work out why Rudolphus was even here. He knew for a fact that the boy was two years older than his brother.

'Must have been held back' he deduced amusedly.

"Another blood traitor" Rudolphus said loudly and purposely, clearly wanting for the group to hear. "It's disgusting that you get to call yourselves pureblood's" he concluded disgustedly.

Harry quickly grabbed the back of James's robes to prevent him from attacking the boy knowing that was exactly what Rudolphus was waiting for.

"It talks" Harry returned with mock surprise. "And there was me expecting nothing more than a grunt" he sighed.

"You better watch it Potter, whatever one you are, I'll curse you" Rudolphus warned.

"How on Earth did you get sorted in to the house of cunning?" Harry questioned seriously. "You have the looks and the subtlety of a troll, not to mention the table manners apparently" he added with a shake of his head and a distasteful grimace at the boy's soiled robes.

He leaned a little closer before continuing.

"You now LeStrange, just because you have basted yourself in gravy it doesn't mean you are going to be spit roasted too, but judging by the arse kissing Snape and your brother give you, I'm sure they'd be happy to give it a go" he shrugged with a smirk.

The majority of the students were clearly trying to stifle their laughter but largely failing.

Rudolphus was clearly having to think about what Harry had said. He clearly knew that he had been insulted but he didn't quite know how.

Harry noticed this and decided to add insult to injury.

"Merlin Rudy, if you are the best that your father had to offer from his clearly lacking nutsack, then he must be as impotent as you are" he continued again with a shake of his head. "Shit, I bet even your Mother agrees with me that she should have swallowed the night you were conceived every time she sees what a buffoon she spewed from her loins" he finished mockingly.

The students in the room could not hide their laughter any longer and most of them burst into peels of it even Bellatrix's mouth twitched in amusement, though LeStrange's cohorts found no humour in the humiliation.

"I'll fucking kill you Potter" Rudolphus suddenly roared, shooting to his feet and trembling with unsuppressed rage.

The laughter stopped and Harry casually and discreetly slid his wand into his hand.

"I don't know Rudy" he deadpanned. "If your aim with your wand is anything like your aim with a spoon, I think it is every one else in the room that needs to worry" he pointed out.

Rudolphus growled angrily and was about to raise his wand when he was interrupted by the arrival of Professor Mortlake.

"Sit down LeStrange" he demanded. "You can kill Potter after class but you won't do it on my time" he added firmly. "For Merlin sake boy, you were a sixth year when I was here last, you should focus on actually completing school, not picking fights" he finished exasperatedly.

Rudolphus took his seat but continued to glare at Harry who gave him a subtle wink causing the boy to turn a shade of purple that Vernon Dursley would be envious of.

Mortlake gave the boy a final shake of his head before he took his place at the front of the class and Harry got his first real look at the man.

He was a tall and wiry man with very sharp icy blue eyes. His hair was dark grey and brushed backwards on his head and he was around his late forties to early fifties at most.

"Listen up" he commanded loudly in a no nonsense tone. "This year will be very busy and if you can't keep up then you are gone, no excuses" he announced seriously.

He began pacing back and forth at the front of class before he spoke again.

"Dumbledore has insisted that we go into more detail regarding dark creatures in class, though you should have already done this" he pointed out irritably. "So that means that we will be doing things a little differently and the work we would usually cover up until Christmas will be completed in your own time" he informed them.

There was a collective groan at that announcement and the man narrowed his eyes at the class.

"Now usually I would tell you to bloody well get on with it how you please but Dumbledore has had another genius idea" he continued sarcastically. "He has decided that we should be promoting inter house cooperation and that we as teachers, should at least give the chance for that to happen" he sighed.

A lot of the students shared disbelieving looks at this. They all knew that it was not a good idea and Harry immediately knew that Dumbledore had done this with him in mind.

"I think it's a stupid idea" Mortlake stated simply. "But that is not my call and there is also no guarantee that will happen with the way I have come up with" he explained. "We will get to that at the end of the class" he finished, clearly bothered by the subject. "First, we are going to go over the basics of what you should already about dark creatures" he announced. "You, Potter" he called.

"What, me?" James questioned.

"Not you, I already know you are an idiot" Mortlake growled. "The new one" he confirmed. "Apparently you are rather gifted in the subject, the only student to get an O+ OWL in three decades" he revealed casually. "Let us see what a private education can achieve" he decided sceptically.

Harry sighed inwardly knowing he was about to be quizzed by the man and waited for him to continue.

"What would you do if you encountered a vampire?" Mortlake questioned.

"Well vampire's now live in isolation since the hunting laws were passed in the early 1800's" Harry began. "If you were to encounter one in the modern day then they would likely be hunting illegally" he explained. "How you deal with that would depend on how many there are" he shrugged.

"Go on" Mortlake instructed.

"Well they are very quick so it is near impossible to hit them with a single shot spell so if there is one a flame whip would be enough to deter it, they do not like fire" he pointed out.

"And" the professor encouraged with a raised eyebrow.

"If there are more than one you need a very powerful and wide spread fire spell" he elaborated. "But the regenerative ability of them mean that they can walk through most flames and be healed within moments" he added knowingly.

"So what fire would you use to defeat a group of them?" Mortlake asked through narrowed eyes.

"Fiendfyre" Harry replied simply.

Most members of the class looked at him critically, some horrified that he would even suggest using the cursed fire.

Mortlake shook is head.

"Very, very few wizards can control Fiendfyre" he pointed out. "That would be both foolish and reckless if you are not capable".

Harry shrugged.

"What about Dementors?" Mortlake inquired.

"Well if you can't produce a good enough Patronus Charm then you should get out of there as quickly as possible, there is no other defense" Harry responded seriously.

"And what are the effects of the creatures?" Mortlake prompted.

"The first thing you notice is the cold, no matter how warm it is" Harry began again. "Then you will feel as though you will never be happy again as they begin to suck away every positive emotion you have and then the worst memories you have ever experienced will play over and over again in your mind" he concluded darkly.

"Doesn't matter if you know Occlumency" Snape cut in with a smirk.

Harry shook his head.

"You can be the best occlumens in the world, it makes no difference" Harry replied. "If you spend enough time in their presence, you will lose your mind and you will probably beg for them to kiss you, they are the foulest creatures in existence" he finished with a swallow.

The entire class were enraptured by the description that Harry had given of the beasts, even Mortlake was paying rapt attention and could not fault anything he said.

The man shook his head and looked calculatingly at him once more.

"What about Inferi?" he asked with a triumphant grin.

"What's an Inferi?" Lily asked curiously.

Harry sighed and thought back on what he had read about them when he came across the term in a newspaper article that Croaker had given him.

"Inferi are created by a form of Necromancy dating back to the early Ancient Egyptians, I believe it was Farooq that used them first in battle" he mused aloud.

He shook his head before continuing.

"They are basically animated corpses that are largely impervious to magic and will only be found in large groups, if the creator is smart" he surmised. "They can only really be defeated by fire or small groups can be destroyed if you have a powerful enough blasting curse to dismember them" he concluded thoughtfully.

Mortlake grudgingly nodded his agreement and shot a glance towards Remus before smirking.

"And what about werewolves" he asked, the smirk never leaving his face.

This immediately annoyed Harry and he seethed inwardly as the man had clearly put him in the position on purpose so he decided to have a little fun with the man.

"Ahh, now that would depend again" he concluded.

"On what exactly?" Mortlake growled.

"Well if the werewolf in question had taken the Wolfsbane potion primarily" he revealed with a mocking nod.

"Very few know of that potion, how did you become aware of it?" Mortlake asked suspiciously.

"One of my tutors was a werewolf and told me about it" Harry lied smoothly.

Internally he scolded himself for the slip when he remembered that the potion was a few months away from being available to the public.

Mortlake just narrowed his eyes at the teen and gestured for him to continue.

"Well any responsible and conscientious sufferer of Lycanthropy will take steps to ensure that they are isolated and secure at the full moon" he began again. "If you come across a werewolf then it is very likely that they purposely placed themselves near to a populated area so they could kill or turn people" he added with a shake of his head. "In that case you need to be able to conjure silver, or have a silver dagger or sharp object handy" he explained. "But fighting a werewolf is not a good idea, they are very fast and very powerful" he pointed out. "Even if you manage to stab it, it will not die immediately unless you get it in the heart or brain" he elaborated. "It is best if you use the Disillusionment Charm coupled with Scent Concealing spells and run" he concluded.

"And just out of interest, what would you do if the filthy beast had taken the potion?" Mortlake questioned, again annoying the teen greatly.

Harry smiled.

"Well if I was outside and I encountered the fellow I'd probably conjure a ball and teach it to play fetch, all dogs like fetch" he deadpanned.

The Marauders and most of the class laughed at this, clearly amused by the thought of a werewolf chasing a ball.

Mortlake shook his head exasperatedly.

"And what if you came upon one in your home, surely you would not play fetch" he sighed.

"Oh no Professor, you couldn't allow the creature to be in your home" Harry answered seriously.

Mortlake smirked and nodded his agreement.

"They are rather smelly and I imagine have the tendency to urinate on things" Harry continued with a mocking shake of his head. "In that scenario, I would probably conjure a collar and lead and take the little bugger for a walk, we can't have him pissing on the furniture can we" he shrugged.

James, Sirius and Peter roared in laughter as did most of the class while Remus looked both shocked and slightly worried.

Mortlake shook his head.

"That will be ten points from Gryffindor" he growled. "And there was me thinking you may have some promise" he added exasperatedly.

Harry just shrugged; it was definitely worth it to him.

"Alright listen up while I explain how else you will be spending your time up until Christmas" Mortlake demanded as he made his way back to the front of the classroom.

The class fell silently and waited for the man to inform them on what they would be doing.

"You are going to be put into pairs and each lesson you will be given five curses each to research and write about away from class" he explained. "Your partners will be determined completely by random, I have written all of your names on a piece of parchment and they will be placed in this" he announced pointing to a chalice on his desk that very much resembled the Goblet of Fire, though it was much smaller. "The cup will fire out two names at a time and they will be the pair, there will be no changing of partners" he finished firmly.

He then placed all of the names into the cup and it glowed as a bright green flame erupted within.

"The first pair" he called as the cup spat out the first pieces of parchment. "Is Snape and Avery" he announced.

The boys in question were clearly happy with the pairing and shared a knowing smirk.

The tongue of flame expelled another two names and Mortlake cleared his throat before speaking.

"Pettigrew and Rookwood" he said simply.

Peter sighed and Rookwood shook his head irritably.

"Next we have the two LeStrange brother's" Mortlake spoke again after another two names had emerged.

The two brother's were clearly happy with the announcement.

"Next we have Potter and Black" he called.

James and Sirius immediately began hi-fiving but were cut off by Mortlake.

"Not you two morons" he growled. "Harry Potter…"

Sirius gave Harry a winning smile.

"And Bellatrix Black" Mortlake added causing all of the Marauders to give Harry a look of sympathy.

Bellatrix simply stared at the man as though he was insane and shook her head at him.

Harry swallowed deeply and had to fight the urge not to vomit or lose his temper at the revelation. Inside he was furious and it took every ounce of his occlumency skill to control himself.

He could barely tolerate Peter and now he had to work with the woman that had killed his godfather. Even though he was managing to control his rage his eyes were starting to glow eerily from the effort to suppress his magic.

"Watch your back Harry" Sirius whispered. "She will curse you the first chance she gets" he warned.

"I hope she does" Harry ground out.

"The next pair is Potter and Lupin" Mortlake cut in.

Both Remus and James breathed a sigh of relief.

"Next is Evans and Prince" Mortlake continued.

Both girls looked as relieved as Remus and James had been and shared a smile.

"Black and McKinnon" the professor announced after a moment.

"Oh you have to be joking" Sirius whined as Marlene winked at him amusedly.

"You can't fight fate Padfoot" Peter snickered.

"I swear I am going to curse you Wormtail, I've had enough" he grumbled.

The pairing off continued until each member of the class had someone to work with. Mortlake handed them all their first list of spells they needed to research and then dismissed them, much to Harry's relief.

After the class had been dismissed, he immediately left with the intent of heading to the room of requirement to release his anger.

He had barely gotten half way down the corridor when an angry voice cut him off.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going Potter" Rudolphus shouted breathily, clearly having run to catch him up.

Harry growled, flicked his wand into his hand and turned to face the boy with a gleeful grin.

Rudolphus clearly did not realise that Harry was already furious and continued to goad him.

"I told you I was going to kill you, you bastard" he roared as he drew his own wand.

The instant Harry saw him reach for his wand he fired a banishing charm towards the other boy with a simple flick of his own.

Before Rudolphus could even raise his wand he was sent careening down the corridor, past the classroom he had just exited and impacted against the wall heavily, leaving him in a heap on the ground.

Harry furiously stalked towards him intent on teaching the boy a lesson but was grabbed by James as he walked past the door of the classroom where the students had clearly been exiting as Rudolphus flew past them.

"Come on Harry, let's get you some air" James suggested gesturing for the rest of the group to help get him away from Rudolphus.

Harry swallowed deeply and nodded though all he wanted to do was rip the moron limb from limb.

The rest of the Slytherin's looked on in shock as Rudolphus had been banished down the hall so casually and had caught a glimpse of the look of fury Harry had adorned, some even swearing they could see his eyes glowing slightly.

The Marauders led Harry up to the Gryffindor common room and sat him in one of their usual seats to calm him down.

"What was that about?" James asked, knowing it was much more than it appeared to be.

"Later" Harry mumbled.

James nodded.

"Bellatrix said you have to meet her at the disused classroom on the third floor after dinner tomorrow" Peter piped up.

Harry nodded and again had to swallow deeply. He had no idea how he would do this without actually killing her.

The group sat in silence for some time, simply digesting the lessons of the day until Remus coughed nervously to break the quiet.

"Harry" he whispered quietly. "That potion you mentioned, what does it do?" he asked.

Harry put his thoughts of Bellatrix to the back of his mind for the sake of the werewolf, knowing that this was very important to him.

"It allows you to keep your mind during the transformations" he explained quietly. "You will still change but you will still be you up" he added tapping his head with a finger.

Remus nodded and headed up the staircase towards their dormitory, clearly deep in thought about the potion.

"That's given him some hope that they will find a cure eventually" Sirius spoke sincerely after a moment. "It means the world to him knowing that there are some still working on it" he concluded with a sad shake of his head.

"That reminds me, it's full moon the week after next" James whispered. "Do you have a form?" he asked Harry curiously.

Harry nodded, having been working on it since Croaker had told him he would be coming here.

"I can change everything apart from my head" he sighed exasperatedly.

"What's your form?" Sirius questioned curiously.

"You'll have to wait and see" Harry answered coyly.

"Is it bigger than me?" James cut in.

Harry nodded.

"Ok, Peter will help you with the head" Sirius decided. "His was the hardest to get but he did it before all of us so he's probably best" he shrugged.

Peter nodded his agreement.

"OK" Harry agreed reluctantly.

"Come on, let's get Remus and head to dinner" James suggested.

It was several hours later that found Harry in bed, not being able to sleep as his thoughts were on two people he had vowed to kill if given the chance.

Peter was much more different than he had expected and he may have even started to like the boy if he wasn't continuously reminded of what he had done to Harry throughout his life and now Harry would be having help from the traitor completing his animagus form.

Harry shook his head at the irony of the situation.

And of course there was now the fact that he had been paired with Bellatrix to complete school work, something that he had not been prepared to face at all and someone he thought he would be able to avoid for the foreseeable future. As far as he was concerned Bellatrix was one of those irredeemable people that the sorting hat had mentioned and he had no desire to be around her in any way, not at all confident that he could stop himself from killing her.

He sighed and decided that he would simply have to do his best for the time being and deal with it if it became a real problem, though he was a tiny bit curious to see how the girl was as a teenager before she became the completely insane lunatic he had become accustomed to seeing.

He sighed and punched his pillow into a more comfortable shape.

Whatever tomorrow would bring, he would just have to handle as best as he could. He would get the work done as soon as possible so that he could spend a minimal amount of time in her company.

He had no choice after all.

 **A/N**

 **Another one down and things will really start picking up now, I just had to lay the foundations down. Things won't always be so smooth between the Marauder's and Harry and James's relationship will continue to develop over time.**

 **There will also be a lot more action coming up soon, that I can promise.**

 **The next chapter will see Harry and Bellatrix meet for the first time and it will be up in the next few days.**

 **Follow, Favourite and Review.**

 **Until next time,**

 **TBR**


	4. Encounters

Chapter 4: Encounters

The following morning dawned bright and early as Harry exited the castle to complete his morning run around the lake, somewhere he hadn't visited as yet since his arrival at Hogwarts.

More than anything, he wanted some fresh air and to clear his head before he approached the day, knowing that he needed to be thinking as clearly as possible, particularly when it came to meeting Bellatrix later to complete the assigned work for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He arrived back in the dormitory a while later, pleased that he had decided to take his run outside and complete his spell work later in the day; he did only have potions to go to after all.

He had decided that, despite how difficult it may be, he would give the girl the benefit of the doubt, the same courtesy that he had granted to Peter, even though he knew it would be very difficult. He had prepared himself for months to be able to face the rat and had barely a days notice to come to terms with the Bellatrix situation, something he knew he should have prepared for, just in case.

He exited the shower to be greeted by the rest of his dorm mates who were as excited as he was about their partnerships, except of course for James and Remus who had been paired together.

"Seriously, I bet McKinnon somehow fixed it so I would be stuck with her" Sirius grumbled.

"For Merlin sake Padfoot, will you just shut up about it" James sighed. "It's all you've talked about since yesterday, we all know you're really happy about it so why don't you get your victory jig out of the way and move on" he suggested exasperatedly.

Sirius scowled at the boy and launched his pillow at him.

"If anyone has reason to complain it's Harry" Remus broke in sympathetically.

"True" Sirius conceded with a firm nod.

"And Peter" James pointed out.

Peter shook his head.

"Augustus and I grew up together, he won't be much of a problem" the smaller boy shrugged.

"You never mentioned that" Sirius replied with a frown.

"We haven't been friends since we were little" Peter explained. "But we will at least be able to tolerate each other, it's Harry that needs to watch out" he advised.

"Yeah just don't turn your back on her and get out of there as quickly as possible" Sirius suggested. "Believe me, she will curse you for no reason" he warned.

Harry shook his head.

"I'll handle it" he sighed. "And it's only until Christmas" he reminded them.

"Thank Merlin" Sirius muttered.

The boy's headed down for breakfast where they were joined by Lily, Alice and Marlene, much to the annoyance of Sirius.

"Isn't it bad enough that I already have to spend more time with you?" he asked as the girl's sat down.

"Oh stop pretending you're upset Sirius" Marlene chided. "Lily wanted to speak with Harry about something" she added.

"What can I do for you?" Harry inquired curiously.

"Well, Professor Flitwick asked me to give this to you" she began, handing him a small leather book. "He said it will help control your power a little more" she explained.

Harry gratefully took the book; he had been trying to find the text for some time now but it was rather rare.

"Thank you, I think I need this" he chuckled.

Lily just nodded and gave him a warm smile.

"I also wanted to ask what you know about the Fidelius Charm" she stated questioningly. "I'm trying to research it but there's almost nothing in the library besides what it does" she sighed.

"Do you want the spell itself and its origins?" Harry asked.

"Can you get them?" she questioned excitedly.

"I can write them down for you" he shrugged in reply.

He had the spell itself in one of the books he had liberated from the room of requirement, but it was largely a book on very offensive protection charms and not exactly written with friendly intent in mind. Certainly not a book he should have or loan out to a fellow student.

"You know it?" she requested, her eyebrows raised.

"I will write it down for you later, but don't try to cast it, I know that you are a gifted witch but you need to be more than exceptionally powerful to do it, people have died trying to perform it" he warned.

The girl squealed in delight and threw her arms around him, almost squeezing the air out of him in the process.

Harry swallowed deeply at receiving the first ever hug from his mother that he remembered and reveled in the feeling, simply trying to absorb both the memory and feeling of it so that he could revisit it at will.

"I promise I won't try to cast it, Professor Flitwick gave me the same warning" she explained.

Harry just nodded and went back to eating his eggs.

"Harry?" Peter called. "What are you planning on doing after Hogwarts?" he asked.

Everyone looked at him, clearly eager to hear his answer.

"I'm not planning anything until the war is over" he answered simply.

"You should join the Auror's with Sirius and myself" James recommended.

Harry shook his head.

"I thought about it before but I'm not interested now" he returned. "What are you planning to do Peter?" he questioned.

"I want to be a potioneer" the boy answered with a broad smile.

"So potions is your favourite?" Harry asked further, a little surprised by his ambition.

The boy just nodded and kept smiling.

"Remus?" Harry inquired.

The werewolf frowned in thought.

"Maybe an enchanter" he shrugged. "I can work for myself and you can make a good bit of gold" he elaborated.

Harry agreed that the boy would suit that profession, he was certainly gifted enough to do it. He just hoped that it would work out for him this time around as his life had not been so kind to him when Harry had met him as a Defense professor.

"Come on" James sighed. "Potions".

The group made their way down to the dungeons where Harry would get to experience his first Hogwarts class without it being taught by Snape, something he was very much looking forward to.

Croaker himself had tutored Harry in the subject, and though it was not his favourite subject by any means, he still found it much more enjoyable than he ever had under the direction of his former instructor.

They entered the room and Harry was pleased to see that they were sharing the class with the Hufflepuff students.

The very rotund Professor Slughorn was waiting for them, his overly large mustache and belly quivering in excitement as he stood at the front of the room with several cauldrons bubbling merrily around him.

"Come now, gather round" he instructed. "We are going to look at various potions today and brew one of the more simple concoctions we will be studying this year to get settled in" he announced jovially.

The class gathered around the man and Harry got his first glimpse into the cauldrons. He immediately recognised the contents of each having had their properties drilled into him by Croaker, who had insisted he learn how to recognise potions that could potentially compromise him in some way.

"Now, who can identify this?" Slughorn asked, pointing to a completely transparent liquid.

Lily raised her hand immediately.

"Ahh, Miss Evans, I should have known" Slughorn said with a nod, causing his overly pronounced jowls to flap comically.

"Veritaserum sir" Lily answered knowledgably.

"Very good, five points to Gryffindor" the man praised. "And this?" he inquired, pointing to the mud-like substance in the next cauldron. "Mr. Pettigrew?".

"Polyjuice Potion" Peter replied confidently.

"Indeed it is, take five points young man" Slughorn offered. "And what about this?" he questioned, gesturing to a pink translucent concoction with a shimmering sheen resting on the top. "Mr. Potter" the man implored, looking at Harry.

"Amortentia" Harry answered knowingly.

Slughorn smiled.

"The most powerful love potion known to man" he stated simply. "The smell of the potion is dependent on what it is that attracts us" he explained. "I myself smell pineapple, suede and mint" he informed them. "What is it you smell Mr. Potter?" he inquired.

Harry smirked.

The truth was he didn't really recognise anything of what he was smelling. He was sure there was some kind of berry but it was not one that was particularly sweet, it had a more musky aroma about it.

"That is rather personal don't you think sir?" he asked with a chuckle. "Almost as personal as asking about another's wand" he pointed out.

"Oho, touché young man" Slughorn responded good naturedly. "Take five points for yourself" he finished with a smile.

"What about that one sir?" Marlene asked, pointing to the smallest of the cauldrons that contained a gold liquid swirling within.

"Oho, indeed Miss McKinnon" he exclaimed. "Can anyone explain this one?" he asked curiously.

Seeing that no one else was going to raise their hand Harry did and was immediately prompted by Slughorn to continue.

"It's Felix Felicis, liquid luck" he informed them. "One of the most difficult potions to brew and highly toxic" he explained.

"Well put Mr. Potter, take another ten points" Slughorn praised again with another smile. "Now usually I would offer a vial of this as a prize for the best brewed potion of the lesson, but it has recently been placed on the restricted list so I am no longer able to" he sighed. "However, we will be brewing the Draught of the Living Dead and do be very careful, it is a very volatile mixture" he warned.

Harry set to work on his potion and brewed it the way that Croaker had taught him, using the instructions the man had provided him with personally and achieving the best potion he had ever brewed in class.

By the end of the session himself, Lily and Peter had all been giving an Outstanding for their efforts, though Harry could see that the other two's potions were certainly better than his own. He was simply pleased that he could do as well in a subject that he had previously been rather abysmal at, even if the reason for it was the constant criticism by Snape and interference by the Slytherin students from his time.

After potions had finished, the Marauder's all had other lessons to attend to so Harry opted to get the rest of his training completed while he had the time. He decided that he would work more on controlling the power of his spells using the book that Flitwick had given him. He knew that he was wasting power at times and although he never really tired, it could become a factor if he found himself in a drawn out fight. Which was certainly going to happen in all likelihood with what the future held for him and who he knew that he would be fighting.

 _(BREAK)_

Charlus Potter exited the training room after an exhaustive workout, something he had been dedicated to ever since he could remember.

It was something that he liked to focus more on when James was at all school more so and was a little more negligent towards during the holidays when he would much rather be spending time with his son as this quality time was severely limited for most of the year.

He sighed as he became lost in thoughts about the other boy that had recently came into their lives.

Harry was different; there was no other way to put it. The boy had experienced nothing short of an awful upbringing and it pained the man to know that a member of his family had had to endure this in any way. What did surprise him was the resilience the young man had demonstrated throughout his life. But this did not stop the older Potter worrying about the boy.

He knew that Harry would not be compromised on his goals and he also knew that he would do whatever was necessary to complete said goals. He was worried about the sacrifices that the boy would make to see the end of his own suffering.

He sighed again and dragged a hand through his hair as he entered the living room to be greeted by the sight of his brother-in-law.

'That did not take long' he mused.

"I've heard some rather strange news Charlus" Arcturus began with a frown. "It seems that you have apparently acquired a new son recently, one that claims to be James's twin, care to explain" he stated questioningly.

Charlus gestured for the man to follow him into his study and took a seat opposite him, deciding how and what exactly he should say.

"You mean Harry" he said simply.

Arcturus just nodded.

Charlus drew his wand and conjured two large tumblers, passing one to the other man before reaching into one of his desk draws and removing a bottle of firewhisky.

"That bad huh?" Arcturus inquired.

"Not bad no, it's just one hell of a story" Charlus replied seriously. "I can explain how and who he is, but I won't share anything further" he warned. "Harry does not trust many and I don't want to break the trust he has shown me" he finished firmly.

"I'm not bloody interested in his story, I just want to know what the hell is going on, we both know that boy is not your son" Arcturus pointed out irritably.

Charlus nodded.

"Harry is our grandson" he began simply.

Arcturus frowned and shook his head disbelievingly but allowed the other man to continue.

"He time travelled here from 1996, as hard as it is to believe it is the truth" Charlus explained.

"I've heard crazier things" Arcturus conceded with a sigh. "Why?" he questioned.

"I can't say, but things were not good for him at all and he didn't exactly volunteer to come here originally, he was sent by very high up officials" Charlus answered cryptically.

Arcturus nodded his understanding.

"So what are you going to do?" he asked curiously.

"Try to give him a good life, the boy deserves some happiness, he is family after all, no matter how or why he is here" Charlus sighed.

"I'd probably do the same" Arcturus agreed. "Family first" he added firmly. "How's Dorea taking it?".

"She loves the boy like he's our own" Charlus answered amusedly. "You know how she is".

"I do" the other man replied knowingly.

The two sat in silence for some time just enjoying their drinks before Charlus spoke again.

"He's a good kid" he declared after he had drained the remaining liquor from his glass.

Arcturus just nodded.

"So, when do I get to meet the little bugger then? He is supposed to be my nephew after all" he pointed out.

"I'll get Dor to talk to him about it at Christmas" Charlus promised. "Just go easy on him, he won't take kindly to being pushed much" he advised.

"What is it you're not telling me?" Arcturus asked with a frown.

Charlus sighed and dragged his hand through his hair from frustration.

"I can't really say much but the boy is very gifted and he's had to be just to survive up until now" he explained coyly. "Get to know him and earn his trust, you'll be glad you did" he added.

"Then I look forward to meeting him" Arcturus declared with a smirk.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry entered the Gryffindor common room after he had finished his training to find that the Marauder's had also completed their lessons for the day and were sat in their usual seats, poring over some parchment.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked as he took his place among them.

"Homework" Sirius sighed irritably.

"Just finishing this up for you" Peter cut in, handing Harry a roll of parchment after he had finished his sentence. "You'll want to read this before we start with the last bit of your transformation" he added in a whisper.

Harry nodded.

"Thanks" he replied gratefully as he pulled some parchment out for himself and began writing down what he had promised to Lily.

They sat this way for some time until they had all completed their tasks and breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"So when are you going to teach me the Patronus Charm?" Sirius questioned Harry eagerly.

"You can do a Patronus Charm" Remus interjected, clearly impressed by the advanced magic.

Harry simply nodded his response to the werewolf before turning to face the other boy.

"How about we start tomorrow after transfiguration?" he offered.

Sirius nodded enthusiastically.

"And the wandless magic" he reminded him.

Harry sighed.

"OK, but don't get your hopes up with any of them, you have to be powerful and be able to focus enough to even have a chance" he warned.

"Hey, what about us?" James broke in with a frown.

"I can try and teach all of you but it's unlikely you'll all be able to do it" Harry pointed out. "We will find a room to practice in" he shrugged.

The other boy's shared a grin of eager anticipation before Remus reminded them it was almost dinner time so they left the common room and made their way down to the Great Hall.

"So Sirius" Remus addressed the boy with a mischievous grin. "Looking forward to your date with Marlene?" he asked innocently.

"It's not a bloody date" Sirius ground out irritably.

"He just wishes it was" Peter piped up.

Sirius shook his head.

"Just don't ok, it's bad enough that I get it from her" he sighed. "I asked her out once and she said no and that's that, I won't be doing it again" he vowed firmly.

"10 Galleons says by February" Harry whispered to Remus.

"Done" Remus agreed immediately shaking the other boys hand.

"Not until after Easter" James cut in confidently.

Both Remus and Harry shrugged but took the bet.

"I can bloody well hear you" Sirius hissed angrily.

"If you're so confident then why don't you get in on it?" James asked with a smirk.

Sirius just huffed and fell silent.

"Christmas" Peter whispered with a snicker.

They entered the hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor table and began spooning their servings of food on to their plates.

"Any idea how you're going to work with my cousin?" Sirius questioned Harry gravely.

"Just get in, get the work done and get out" he surmised.

"Best way" Sirius agreed. "And avoid eye contact, I swear her stare will freeze your soul, she must be part Dementor or something" he finished with a shiver.

"She's not that bad" Remus sighed. "Just don't look at her too much and whatever you do, do not make jokes, she doesn't like jokes, does she Sirius?" he questioned with a grin.

Sirius just shook his head.

"And don't try to flirt either" he warned. "I wouldn't put it past her to claim your stones as a memento of your time together" he added severely.

"Believe me, the last thing I would do is flirt with her" Harry replied seriously.

"What kind of girls do you like Harry?" James asked suddenly.

"I don't really have a type" Harry mused aloud. "But I might have a crack at McKinnon if Sirius doesn't get in there quickly" he concluded jokingly.

"You bloody well won't" the other boy retorted heatedly before he inwardly scolded himself for his outburst.

The others just laughed at him victoriously.

"You know Peter, you might be right with your Christmas prediction" Remus quipped.

 _(BREAK)_

Knowing he could no longer put off his meeting with Bellatrix, Harry tentatively exited the Gryffindor common after receiving some final sympathetic looks from the rest of the group before removing his copy of the map from his pocket and checking that he was not about to be ambushed. He would not put it past the LeStrange's to do so or even Bellatrix to help them.

After seeing that she was indeed alone on the third floor he sighed deeply and made his way to where she was waiting for him.

He steeled himself before opening the door and entering the room to be greeted by the sight of the girl herself sat at a table surrounded by various sheets of parchment.

"You know, it is rather rude to keep a lady waiting" she spoke casually, though Harry could tell she was irritated with him.

"I wasn't aware there was a lady waiting" Harry shrugged in reply.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at him.

"Very funny Potter, but it doesn't change the fact that you are late" she retorted.

"It's after dinner" Harry pointed out. "You didn't actually give a specific time" he added.

"It means that when the plates are clear, you get your stuff and come here" Bellatrix growled.

"Ahh, then you have my deepest apologies for the misunderstanding my lady" Harry bit back sarcastically giving an elaborate vow.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him again but there was a hint of amusement in them.

"Your sarcasm needs work, the brutal honesty approach you used on that buffoon Rudolphus was much better" She praised genuinely.

"Well I imagine that spending time with you will give me plenty of chances to improve" Harry shrugged, ignoring the compliment. "And I'm surprised you haven't cursed me yet for embarrassing him" he added seriously.

"The only time I've thought about cursing you is for being late" she returned with a frown. "And now for your poor attempt at sarcasm" she continued. "Rudolphus is a moron and got exactly what he deserved and there's definitely more to you than meets the eye" she finished confidently.

' _How the hell did she end up married to the prat, she clearly cannot stand him?'_ Harry questioned internally. _'Something must have happened for it to have happened, something big'._

He decided to put that away to think about further later, but something certainly was not adding up about the entire thing.

"And why would you think there is more to me, we have only been speaking for a few minutes" he reminded her.

"I watched you yesterday, you're not like my cousin and those other Gryffindor idiots you spend time with" she replied with a shrug.

"How so?" Harry questioned curiously.

Bellatrix sighed and placed her quill down before looking at him calculatingly.

"Firstly, you didn't immediately attack him when he insulted you and you even stopped your brother from being his typical obtuse self" she began.

Harry grudgingly nodded his agreement, clearly she was observant.

"Secondly, you drew your wand and was ready to defend yourself if by some miracle he could understand what you were saying" she continued. "Also, you didn't confront him, he confronted you like the fool he is and tried to attack someone he knew nothing about and he paid the price" she added.

"True" Harry responded simply.

"See, that makes you different, that was more of a Slytherin move" she returned curiously. "And you are somewhat interesting considering no one knew you existed until a few days ago" she elaborated thoughtfully.

"Family secret" Harry shrugged.

Bellatrix just nodded.

"Don't care" She stated. "So, clearly you have some preconceived notions about me, what have you heard?" she asked.

Harry did indeed have some preconceived notions of the girl, but they were not based on what Sirius or the others had said. His had been based on experience of her, yet the Bellatrix sat in front of him was a far cry from the insane, loud and cringe worthy woman he had met.

This Bellatrix did not add up at all. Clearly the insanity must have changed her somewhere along the line. She was more relaxed than Harry had expected and even had a dry sense of humour, something he had not ever associated with her.

"Well I was warned not to turn my back on you and that you might even remove my pebbles if I attempted to make a joke or flirt with you" Harry answered honestly with a smirk.

Bellatrix just raised an eyebrow at him and again had a slight look of amusement about her.

"I might" she shrugged. "I haven't decided yet, but for now I'll leave you with them, at least until we have gotten the work done" she returned. "But you might want to learn to form your own opinion of people Potter" she added seriously. "And I thought it was us Slytherin's that were supposed to be prejudice and ignorant" she mused to herself with a sigh.

Harry just nodded reluctantly, knowing that what she said made sense.

This was not going at all how he thought it would and he actually found this Bellatrix tolerable and even interesting, something he had not expected.

It was very much similar to the Peter situation. Despite his experiences of the man before Harry found himself slowly warming to him the same way that he was able to be in a room with Bellatrix and not immediately want to kill her, but he didn't find himself becoming any more fond of her. He knew for a fact that she would curse him if he gave her a reason to so he decided that for the sake of himself he would just put up with her, it was only a temporary situation after all.

He shook his head and tried to clear the conflicting thoughts he was having. Although he could see that this Bellatrix was different, he couldn't entirely remove the image of her as the lunatic she would become.

"Shall we get on" he suggested. "That way I can get back and show them that you haven't cursed me, yet" he added.

Bellatrix just shrugged and removed the list of curses they had been given to research.

"Blood boiling curse?" she asked.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"Oh, and you can go to the library and get the books next time" she informed him.

"Fair enough" Harry agreed with a sigh.

"What do you know about the curse?" she asked with a frown. "It's not in any of these books".

Harry pondered the curse for a moment trying to remember its origins.

"It was created in the early 18th century by a Polish Mediwizard named Jarek Siaucila as a treatment for hyperthermia but as with a lot of medical spells it can be used offensively" he began. "If cast verbally it's results depend on how much power you will into it, but non-verbally takes that control away and it will solely depend on how powerful the caster is at their maximum" he continued thoughtfully. "You don't have to be at all powerful to kill someone with it as the blood in the human body has to stay around 37 degrees Celsius and any difference of a few degrees either way can kill you if left untreated" he concluded confidently.

"Well, if you keep that up I might just leave you in tact" Bellatrix stated, clearly impressed by his knowledge.

"That would be appreciated" Harry replied with a smirk.

"Keep up with those smart remarks and I'll take them and boil them, it would definitely add to my reputation" she surmised with a smirk of her own.

It was around an hour later that they completed the assigned work and both packed away their things and readied themselves to lead.

"Well it looks like you get to keep them today" Bellatrix sighed in mock disappointment. "I can see why you got an O+ but I guess there's always next time" she finished with a grin.

Harry breathed a faux sigh of relief.

"Well if you like I could just limp for a few days then that way your reputation won't be tarnished" Harry offered sarcastically.

"No, I would know that it wasn't real and my reputation to myself is all I really care about but thanks for the offer, I'd rather find a reason to do it for real" she quipped.

"Well maybe you'll get lucky" Harry shrugged.

"Or maybe I've been lenient today" Bellatrix countered.

Harry narrowed his eyes at her and shoo his head amusedly.

"Same time next week?" he asked.

"No" Bellatrix responded. "You'd better be on time next week or I will reconsider my generosity" She warned with a raised eyebrow.

Harry left the room and though back over the past couple of hours and how surreal the experience had been.

Initially, he had been ready to just curse the girl but he quickly found her to at least be bearable, much to his own confusion. She was actually rather entertaining to talk to and was clearly very intelligent and witty.

' _How did that girl in there turn into what she did before?'_ he questioned himself, frustrated.

He grudgingly admitted that his time with her had been interesting and that she had been right to some extent about the preconceived notions thing, but she was of course not aware that Harry knew what she would become one day.

Harry was confused and had a million questions swirling around his mind. He decided not to dwell on the topic, it was not important after all.

He again reminded himself that it was only temporary and would be a waste of his time looking into it any further. He would only have to see her once a week for an hour or so at a time and then it would be over with.

He entered the Gryffindor common room to be immediately approached by Remus, James and Peter who were all looking rather concerned.

"Merlin Harry, we were about to come and get you" James informed him seriously.

"I was only gone a couple of hours" Harry responded.

"We were done in an hour" Remus cut in. "She didn't curse you then?" he asked worriedly.

"No, but there's always next time as she pointed out" Harry sighed, though he was still a little amused.

"Well, how was it?" Peter questioned.

"She doesn't like any of you" Harry said flatly. "But then again, I don't really think she likes anyone" he added thoughtfully.

"For Merlin sake McKinnon can we just get this done now?" the irritated voice of Sirius sounded throughout the room.

Remus, James and Peter snickered.

"They've been there for two hours and Marlene has spent the whole time winding him up" Remus explained through his laughter.

Harry looked over and could see that Marlene was grinning mischievously while Sirius looked as though he wanted to tear his own hair out.

"The tension between them is disgusting" Remus continued. "It actually makes me queasy" he added with a grimace.

Harry just shook his head in sympathy and made his way over to Lily.

"Hey Lily" he greeted her. "As promised" he intoned holding out a piece of parchment to her.

"It's blank" she pointed out with a frown.

"Tap it with your wand, I put a signature charm on it so that only you can read it" he explained.

Lily did as she was instructed and her eyes lit up in awe and excitement.

"How did you do that?" she questioned. "That's really advanced" she stated.

"I'll teach you at some point" Harry offered having purposely put the charm on it as an excuse to spend more time with her at a later date.

He knew that she would be interested in learning the charm he had used.

"Thank you" She replied excitedly and threw her arms around him.

"You sure you haven't got anything to worry about with Evans and Harry?" Remus asked James seriously.

"Not even remotely" James answered with a smile aimed at the pair in question.

Remus just shook his head, not understanding his friend at all. James would usually be very jealous of any boy that gave Lily their attention, but he seemed sure that Harry was no threat at all.

' _He knows his brother better than anyone else I guess'_ he mused to himself.

 _(BREAK)_

It was the next day, after a Transfiguration lesson spent reviewing fifth year material, that found Harry and the Marauder's in an empty classroom on the fourth floor where he would attempt to teach them how to cast a Patronus Charm.

"Ok, you have to remember that this is very, very advanced magic and only few are even capable of producing it" he began seriously. "You have to think of your happiest memory and allow that feeling to wash over you completely before you will even begin to be able to get any results" he instructed firmly. "If you do manage to produce something then that in itself is a hell of an achievement" he finished.

"Is everyone's different" Peter piped up.

Harry nodded.

"Your patronus usually reflects something that means the most to you or what you most resemble in animal form" Harry answered. "It could be something that makes you feel safe or something that is relatable to yourself" he added.

"Can we see yours, so we can get an idea?" Remus requested.

Harry nodded, drew his wand and immediately cast his patronus.

"That's you" Remus said dumbly, looking at James.

James just nodded proudly.

' _That's why he trusts him with Lily, Harry would never do anything to hurt him'_ Remus surmised.

"That's all I can really tell you" Harry broke in once more. "It will take a while to even get a wisp of a shield so just work on it and remember it is all about the emotion and basking in it, if you can do that and you get no results, then you just aren't powerful enough" he concluded with a shrug.

"How long did it take you to get it?" Sirius inquired.

"It took me a few months just to get a shield" Harry answered. "But I could do it in less than a year" he added.

"And you were thirteen when you learnt it" a red faced James asked incredulously.

Harry just nodded.

Peter and Remus just shook their head disbelievingly.

The group spent a couple of hours in the room with none of the boy's yielding any results but none were disheartened by the attempt as Harry had pointed out that it takes a lot of work.

The exited the classroom and made their way back to Gryffindor Tower, all pleased that the lessons for the week had been completed for all of them.

They entered the common room to be greeted by Frank Longbottom who had clearly been waiting for them.

"First practice is on Monday" he informed them. "6 o'clock, don't be late" he added sternly before walking away.

Harry smiled.

He truly could not wait to play quidditch again. It was nice that himself, James and Sirius had played a few pick up games before coming here but it wasn't the same as playing it at Hogwarts with a full team and competing against the other houses.

He did wonder however, how different it would be. This was a whole new team after all. In fact, all of the teams were different.

He pushed those thoughts aside and in favour simply reveled in the knowledge that he was going to get to play his favourite game with his Father, Remus and Sirius, something that had not been possible before he came here for many reasons.

Regardless of how different the set up here would be, he would just enjoy it for what it was; a chance to have a little bit of the childhood that had been taken away from him, despite the fact that he was the same age as his father.

 _(BREAK)_

Friday evening arrived and Albus Dumbledore had called a staff meeting to discuss the first week of classes and to give the Professor's a chance to raise any concerns they may have in relation to any students or their posts in general.

The staff gathered around him as he sat at his desk in his office and waited for them to settle before he begun.

"Are there any pressing matters that need to be brought to my attention?" he asked, looking at each member of staff in turn.

It was Professor McGonagall that spoke first, though it seemed that most of the staff had something to say.

"I cannot understand for the life of me why Rudolphus LeStrange is still here Albus" She began exasperatedly. "The boy simply is not capable of passing the sixth year material with the incompetence he demonstrates in his theory work".

"I understand your annoyance but my hands are tied" the headmaster sighed. "Randolph would make life very difficult if we were to remove his son from the school without due cause, he does have the right to complete his education after all".

There was a collective groan at the conclusion of the man's response.

"The boy is a moron Albus" Professor Mortlake exclaimed. "Within two minutes of being in my classroom he tried to pick a fight with the new Potter" he informed them irritably.

"Ahh, and how is the young Mr. Potter settling?" Dumbledore questioned curiously.

"The boy knows his stuff, of that there is no doubt, he even knew about Inferi" Mortlake responded. "And I'm sure Mr. LeStrange will think twice before picking a fight with him anymore, but then again. Lestrange is an idiot and will not likely learn his lesson" he concluded with a shake of his head.

"What did happen between the two?" Professor McGonagall inquired.

Mortlake sighed.

"LeStrange started spewing his typical nonsense and Potter exposed him for the Neanderthal he is" Mortlake began. "I intervened before the exchange got too heated but LeStrange confronted him after the class and found himself blasted down the corridor by the boy, who no doubt would have attacked him further had his brother and friends not prevented it" he finished warningly.

"I see" Dumbledore mused. "It would not be wise for Mr. LeStrange to continue to goad young Harry, he will not like the results" he added gravely, remembering what he had been allowed to witness through his memories. "What does everybody else think of the boy?" he asked further.

"He is very gifted, clearly" Flitwick piped up. "He has more power than I have ever seen in a student so I have provided him with a book on how to control it a little better, though I think his control will be limited just because of how much power he possesses" he sighed.

"I agree" McGonagall interjected. "His Transfiguration skills are exemplary and he has no problems performing the more intricate spells, I imagine he has rather good control but even when he does attempt to control his power with power based spells it simply is not enough dampen it sufficiently" she theorised. "Does he seem out of control when he casts the spells?" she asked the diminutive charms master.

"No, he even warned me that he was reining it in as best he could and it was still considerably more powerful than those pushing themselves, but maybe he will get a better grasp of it" he shrugged.

"Horace?" Dumbledore questioned.

"The lad is in the top 5 students in his year, but it is clear he has little passion for the subject, although he will have no problem in attaining an outstanding in his NEWTS" he declared confidently.

Dumbledore next turned his attention to Professor Merrythought who smiled.

"The young man was the only student who could see the Thestral" he revealed. "He is clearly compassionate and understanding and certainly a lover of animals and does not take their reputation into account" he elaborated.

"He could see it?" McGonagall asked disbelievingly.

"Young Mr. Potter has witnessed several unpleasant things throughout his education" Dumbledore sighed.

"Where has the boy been educated?" Mortlake broke in with a frown.

"I have no idea, but he is certainly more than capable" Dumbledore returned. "I suggest we keep an eye on him however, I do not believe that he is dark in any way but he certainly is not light minded, as I believe Mr. LeStrange would have discovered had the other Gryffindor's intervened." he stated seriously.

 _(BREAK)_

Monday evening arrived and Harry was making his way down to the quidditch pitch with the others. Peter did not play on the team but he was an avid fan of the sport, something that surprised Harry.

He had spent the weekend training and helping the Marauder's with their Patronus charms, with Remus even achieving his first results of the spell in the form of a weak misty shield forming.

He had also spent some time with Lily, helping her with her research project. In this time he had learnt much about his Mother, the most prominent being that she was very dedicated in the study of charms. He was simply amazed by her ability and though he arguably knew more spells than her, he was left with no doubt that her knowledge in the subject was second to none.

He certainly enjoyed spending time with the girl. She was an interesting person to talk to, warm and very kind; a welcome escape from the continuous teasing and taunting that the boy's inflicted on each other continuously, although he would not trade his time spent with them for anything.

The defense lesson that day had consisted of a lecture about giants and how one would escape from them if you were not capable of fighting one, which very few were.

Rudolphus and the rest of his cohorts had spent the duration of the lesson shooting Harry death glares, though none attempted to confront him again, something that Harry knew would not last long.

Harry had no doubt that they would eventually and that he would just have to make sure that he was ready when the time came. Rudolphus was too stupid to learn from his mistakes and not antagonise him any further.

Although the constant staring bothered him he managed to completely ignore them as he had more important things on his mind, namely Quidditch and the first team practice of the year.

The group reached the pitch and Harry was introduced to the other members of the team. Of course, there was Frank Longbottom himself who played chaser along with James and a fifth year boy named Malcolm Singleton who looked as though he should be a beater. He was of a large build with blonde hair that was cropped short with, very bright blue eyes that oozed friendliness.

Sirius and Remus were the two beaters and the keeper was an even larger boy than Singleton. He was well over six feet tall and was a mass of solid muscle. He was introduced as Albert Kilburn, a seventh year boy.

"Alright lads, fall in" Frank commanded. "We'll take it easy today and get rid of the cobwebs from the summer" he informed them. "Standard set up and let's see what Harry is made of" he added with a smirk. "First match is against Slytherin in October, so we need to be ready for the filthy bastards" he sighed.

"Who's their team this year?" James asked.

"Same as last" Frank responded. "The LeStrange's as beaters, Black, Avery and Mulciber chasing, Selwyn in goal and Rookwood as seeker" he explained.

"Great" Sirius huffed irritably.

"Black?" Harry questioned.

"My Brother Regulus" Sirius grumbled bitterly.

"I didn't know you had a brother" Harry stated in surprise.

"Family secret" Sirius returned with a smirk. "He's a prick any way, he's no brother of mine" he declared vehemently.

Harry just shook his head.

"Come on, up we go boy's, let's get on with it" Frank instructed.

The team spent a couple of hours in the air running standard drills while Harry chased the snitch around the pitch, catching it with ease on several occasions and impressing the rest of the team deeply in the process.

"Shit, you weren't joking about him" Frank exclaimed once they had landed and grouped together once more. "Where the hell did you learn to play like that?" he asked seriously. "I've never seen anything like it" he finished with a shake of his head.

Harry shrugged.

"I've always been comfortable on a broom" he deadpanned.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that we have no worries with the snitch this year, he is way out of everyone else's league by miles" Frank declared gleefully.

It wasn't long after that the practice ended and Harry and the rest made their way back up to the tower to relax for the rest of the evening and start putting some final touches on pranks they were planning.

"What about this one?" Sirius asked, pointing to one of the pranks they had been working on.

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"I've said it more than a few times, that is not a prank, that is just being a bastard" he pointed out.

"Well the gits deserve it" Sirius grumbled.

"Look, if they do something bad enough to provoke it then that's fair enough, but targeting single people like that is just malicious, that's why people think you're just bullying" Harry replied knowingly.

"Well then you pick one that you approve of" Sirius challenged heatedly.

"Fine" Harry agreed and began leafing through the sheets of parchment. "How about this one?" he asked after a few moments.

"I like it, but who?" James inquired.

"The staff" Harry suggested with a grin. "Let's call it a practice run for Christmas, just without the hat".

"You're mental" Remus interjected.

"No one gets hurt and it shows that you won't only target the Slytherin's" Harry shrugged. "I bet Dumbledore will find it amusing" he added.

"McGonagall will skin us alive" Sirius cut in, his eyes alight with amusement. "I'm in" he finished firmly.

"Definitely" James vowed.

"Why not" Peter shrugged.

"Damn" Remus whispered. "If this goes wrong you're taking the blame for this one" he informed Harry.

"Works for me" Harry returned with a chuckle.

 _(BREAK)_

It was the following evening that found Peter making his way to the second floor to meet Rookwood so they could complete their Defense assignment for the week, though the boy couldn't see why he was bothering, especially if it turned out to be anything like it had the previous week.

He had arrived as instructed and Rookwood had simply told him to research the final two spells on the list and the pair completed the work in silence. It had only taken the duo around about an hour to finish and Rookwood had simply grunted his approval before leaving.

Peter sighed as he reached the designated classroom and entered, keen to just get it done so he could return to the tower.

"Same as last week" Rookwood instructed succinctly, his attention never wavering from the book he was buried in.

Peter just nodded and took his place. Perhaps it was better to do it this way and avoid the idle chit-chat. It had been years since the boys had spoken after all, so he took a seat and began working on his section of the spells.

It was around half an hour into the session that he noticed that Rookwood was staring at him speculatively and Peter frowned at the boy.

"What is it Augustus?" he sighed impatiently.

"I'm just trying to work out how you ended up in Gryffindor" Rookwood replied curiously.

"Because that is where the hat put me" Peter shrugged.

"We both know you're a sniveling coward Peter" the other boy stated. "You hide behind Potter, Black and Lupin like a terrified puppy, there's nothing brave about that" he added disgustedly.

"They are my friends and we look out for each other" Peter returned heatedly.

Rookwood shook his head.

"They are your friends here, but what happens when you finish school?" he asked. "Do you actually think they will still want a mediocre lackey hanging on to them like a lost kitten?" he asked further.

Peter swallowed deeply.

It was something that he himself had been thinking about. The other three and Harry were much more talented than him and there was no doubt that he would be left behind.

"You know as well as I do what's going on out there" Rookwood cut in with a whisper. "All the mudbloods and blood traitors will be killed along with those they associate with, you at least are smart enough to know that you definitely won't be safe" he pointed out.

Peter shrugged, not knowing what else to say but he had to concede the fact that Rookwood had a point.

"You have the protection of being a pureblood" Rookwood continued. "You will be left alone so long as you don't associate with the scum of society, and you could be very useful to the Dark Lord yourself, you have 5 years of knowledge about the blood traitors" he said charismatically.

Peter shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the doubts.

"They are my friends" he hissed angrily though there was still a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Then you are signing your own death warrant and are an idiot, just think about it Peter, none of them can protect you from him" he said confidently. "None of them" he reiterated firmly. "Anyway, it's your life, you can die how you please I guess, makes no difference to me" he shrugged.

With that said the boy took the sheaf of parchment and packed his things before exiting the room, leaving a very thoughtful Peter Pettigrew in his wake.

 _(BREAK)_

After checking the map, Harry arrived at the classroom he and Bellatrix had met in the previous week and began taking out the necessary books and parchment needed to complete the task.

"It seems as though you get to keep your bits then" Bellatrix sighed with mock disappointment. "Well, so far" she added with a grin.

The grin left Harry taken aback.

It was not the maniacal grin that he was used to seeing plastered on that face, but one of genuine amusement, and a grin that made her look very beautiful indeed.

He shook those thoughts from his head.

' _That's Bellatrix LeStrange for Christ sake'_ he scolded himself. _'She is an insane killer, she killed Sirius'_ he reminded himself firmly.

" Out of interest, just what is it you do with the trophies of your victims?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That is my business Potter" She replied, this time with a more recognisable sinister grin on her face, though her eyes were alight with amusement.

"Well, I haven't seen anyone limping around here" Harry responded with a shrug.

"That's because they have learnt not to cross me, especially after Rudolphus thought he could let his unworthy hands touch me" she returned with a look of disgust at the memory. "I hit him with a well placed shrinking charm" she explained.

Harry cringed at the thought of the results that spell had.

"And speaking of Rudolphus" Bellatrix continued. "He is determined to get you back" she warned.

Harry snorted at that revelation.

"That idiot doesn't learn" he sighed while he shook his head.

"Rudolphus is a moron, I'll give you that, but he is very dangerous with that stupidity" Bellatrix intoned seriously. "I saw him curse a second year for sitting in his seat and she spent two weeks in the hospital wing" she informed him, clearly not approving of the boy's actions.

"What the hell did he curse her with?" Harry asked. "It must have been bad for her to be there for that long" he pointed out.

"No one knows" she shrugged. "But he got two month's detention for it" she explained.

"That's it?" Harry questioned angrily. "Obviously the curse could have killed her or she would have been out a lot quicker" he added knowingly.

"Dumbledore gave the punishment personally" Bellatrix revealed.

' _No wonder why things are going to shit, you get a bloody detention for attempted murder'_ he seethed inwardly.

"Stupid twinkly-eyed git" he growled.

"Oh, not a fan of the lights exulted leader then?" Bellatrix, questioned, visually surprised by his outburst.

Harry shook his head.

"I don't think he's a bad guy, but he certainly isn't the saintly old man people make him out to be" he proclaimed knowingly, having experienced the secretive and somewhat manipulative nature of the man throughout his life.

"You are a surprise Potter" Bellatrix replied with a smirk. "And there was me thinking you were like the rest of the Gryffindor's, queuing up to lick his boots" she added mockingly.

"You will never catch me licking anyone's boots" Harry vowed firmly. "I live by my own morals and do what's best for me and those I care about" he shrugged.

Bellatrix actually smiled at him, which unsettled him slightly.

"Now that is something I can respect, the world is full of people who want to look up to someone and not be their own person" she sighed.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"Shall we get this over with then?" he asked.

Bellatrix just nodded and the two settle down to complete their work.

It was a little after an hour later that they both completed the task and parted ways, agreeing to meet the same time and place the following week.

Harry left the meeting feeling rather confused and experiencing mixed emotions. Although he knew he had actually enjoyed the time with her, as strange as it sounded in his own mind, he would not admit it to himself, he couldn't admit it to himself and he certainly would not admit that he was looking forward to seeing her again the next week.

As much as it bothered him, he could at least concede the point that she was interesting and her humour was very similar to his own; it seemed as though they had a fair amount in common but he knew that wouldn't last long as time went by. He knew exactly what she was going to become and it disgusted him even thinking about the similarities they shared.

' _It's only until Christmas'_ he reminded himself firmly.

He entered the tower and joined James and Remus in their usual seats who were clearly transfixed on something. Evidently, Peter was still with Rookwood so he felt no need to inquire about the boy.

"What's going on?" he asked the two with a frown.

"Just watch" James instructed. "It's bloody gold" he snickered, gesturing to the other side of the common room where Sirius was sat with Marlene.

Harry noted that Sirius was a very deep shade of red and Marlene looked more amused than Harry had seen her thus far.

Suddenly the sound of romantic violin music could be heard throughout the room and Sirius shot to his feet, clearly irate and stormed over to where they were sat.

"Will you please just stop it, it's unbearable" he pleaded.

"It's nothing to do with me Padfoot" James replied, holding his hands up to demonstrate his innocence.

"I just got back" Harry pointed out.

"Arithmancy work" Remus shrugged.

Sirius groaned weakly before heading back to the corner in defeat.

All three of the other's burst into laughter.

"What did you do?" Harry asked James amusedly.

"Wasn't me" James choked out, pointing to Remus.

The werewolf leaned forward and beckoned the other two closer.

"I put a charm on a violin to play the music whenever the word 'curse' is used, shrunk it and stuck it under the table" he explained proudly. "The thing is, they only have to sit somewhere else and it will stop" he snickered.

"He's going to kill you" Harry proclaimed.

"Are you going to tell him?" Remus asked.

"Good point" Harry conceded.

They spent the rest of the evening being entertained by the spontaneous outbreaks of music that sounded throughout the room and hid from their glares that Sirius through their way. His breaking point came when Marlene attempted to drag him to his feet for a dance and he flat out refused and stormed up to the dormitory and slammed the door behind him, not coming out for the rest of the night.

It took three days for him to calm down enough to even begin speaking to them again, but even then it was clear that he was planning some revenge. Harry decided that he would help him out and offered the boy his services and an idea, to which Sirius readily agreed.

It took a further three days for them to work out all of the details for the prank but eventually they were ready to put their plan into action, much to the delight of Sirius who could not wait to get his own back.

They waited for the rest of the group to fall asleep and went to work on everything that needed to be done to pull it off. Once they were satisfied everything was in place they themselves went to bed, intent on getting up early so they could witness the results.

Harry woke before the rest of his dorm mates and roused a sleepy and irritable Sirius, who soon perked up when he was reminded of what was going to happen.

The pair readied themselves for the day as quickly and quietly as possible before they made their way to the door to head down to the common room.

That's when Harry was hit with another brainwave and he carefully woke Peter.

"Get down to the common room as soon as possible and bring your camera" he whispered to the boy. "Do not wake James" he added firmly.

Peter simply wore a look of bemusement but nodded his compliance before Harry and Sirius exited the room.

It was ten minutes later that they were joined by both Peter and Remus who had also woken up in the time that they were gone.

"What's going on?" the werewolf asked with a frown.

"Just wait" Harry replied with a smirk.

It was five minutes later that the first sign that their plan had worked was apparent.

By this time the common room had filled with most of the house and they turned nervously towards the staircase as an ear splitting roar sounded throughout the tower.

"HARRY!" James shouted furiously. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU" he added angrily.

"What have you done?" Remus asked worriedly.

"Watch" Harry instructed simply. "Peter, get the camera ready".

Sirius wore an excited look of anticipation that actually had him shaking with glee.

A few more moments passed before the sound of several thuds could be heard as James toppled down the stairs and spilled into the common room, landing in a heap on the floor.

The sight of the boy had the entirety of the room in peals of laughter as he stood and glared at his dorm mates with both shock and anger etched into his face.

His hair and eyebrows were now so thick that his eyes could barely be seen and he now had a very hair mole just above his top lip. His ears had grown to a comical size and his nose was in a similar state. The icing on the cake however, was the t-shirt he wore that simply read: 'The Ugly Twin'. Which presence became apparent as Harry approached him and removed his jacket, revealing the same shirt that read 'The Pretty Twin'.

"Say cheese" he chuckled as he wrapped his arm around the other boy, nodding towards Peter as he did so.

Peter took the nod as his cue and snapped a picture of the pair, handing Harry the photo as it printed.

"One for the family album don't you think?" he asked James who simply scowled at him.

"Why would you do this to me?" he growled.

"Revenge for the prank you got Sirius with when he first met me" Harry shrugged.

"But that was weeks ago" James whined.

"Yup" Sirius agreed with a grin. "Had to get you back though".

James pouted.

"Well when the hell will it wear off" he asked desperately.

"Maybe a few hours" Sirius guessed. "But the t-shirt in a day or two" he added uncertainly.

James just shook his head and headed back up to the dorm room, clearly no happy with the rest of them.

"You know, I might send this to Mum and Dad" Harry mused aloud, reminding himself that he did indeed have to write to them anyway.

"You do realise he won't let this lie" Remus cut in.

"He will" Harry responded confidently. "If not he will get it much worse".

Remus shook his head and sighed.

"I hope so" he declared. "We don't want to be pranking each other when we haven't gotten anyone else yet" he pointed out.

"Halloween" Harry reminded him simply.

The other three boy's grinned at the thought of what they were planning.

 _(BREAK)_

Tuesday evening arrived quickly as the week had flown by in a blur. Planning and pulling off the prank along with training, Quidditch practice and working on the Patronus charm with the others had left Harry continuously busy, though he managed to make time to help Lily out with her project when he could.

He arrived in the usual classroom before Bellatrix and had everything ready to begin before she arrived, which she did five minutes later and the duo settled down to start their assigned spells for the week.

"You know, you haven't once asked a single thing about me in all the time we've spent together" Bellatrix pointed out.

Harry frowned in thought an realised that she was in fact right, he had not asked her anything.

' _Probably because I know all I need to'_ he mused.

"Ok" he conceded, placing his quill on the desk. "What is it you want to do when you're finished school?" he asked, genuinely interested in what the girl's dreams and ambitions had been before she became a mass murderer.

Bellatrix tapped her chin with the end of her quill, clearly thinking hard about the question.

"Maybe a duelist or I'd like to write my own books" she answered uncertainly. "One of the two" she added sounding a little more confident.

The duelist revelation did not surprise Harry in the slightest. Despite she was completely insane, he could respect the fact that she was very formidable with a wand from what he had seen. The fact that she was considering writing her own books did surprise him however, that he had not expected at all.

"Interesting" he responded. "What about your family?" he asked further.

He of course knew that Narcissa was her sister and she had another one who would end up being Tonks' Mother.

"I have two sister's, Narcissa and Andromeda" Bellatrix began, her eyes full of care and love for the two, something that Harry could not even fathom she had any understanding of. "Andi is in the year above us and is planning on being a lawyer and Cissy will be a healer I think, she's so caring and good with potions" she explained, clearly proud of her siblings.

"And your parents?" Harry inquired curiously.

"My Mother is great and she always encourages us to do what we want and what will make us happy" Bellatrix spoke fondly. "My father wants us to be the perfect housewives and marry into a rich pureblood family" she added with a sneer.

"Ahh" Harry deadpanned.

"He would have us married to morons like the Malfoy's if he could" she continued disgustedly. "You should know all this, your mother is a Black after all" she pointed out.

"I haven't met any of the Black's" Harry reminded her. "I've barely been home since I was eleven, I didn't even meet Sirius until a couple of weeks before the school year started" he explained.

"Why did you come here?" Bellatrix questioned.

"Because of what's going on out there, I wanted to be closer to home, just in case" he answered cryptically.

Bellatrix nodded her understanding.

"So you haven't met my Grandfather yet then?" she asked with a smirk.

Harry just shook his head.

"He will definitely want to meet you, you are his Nephew" She informed him. "Regulus wrote to him the first day here to tell him all about you" she concluded with a smirk.

Harry simply shrugged.

He didn't know the man but figured that he was not the most pleasant of people even if he was his Grandmother's brother.

The two settled into the work and completed it with their usual ease, both appreciative and respectful of the knowledge that each held between them and rarely needing to consult a book.

They exited the room to head to their respective common rooms, agreeing once again to meet in the same place at the same time the next week.

Harry entered the Gryffindor common room and took his place with Remus and James in their corner, both of them immersed in their own work.

"Not being entertained by Sirius and Marlene this week?" he asked as he took his seat.

"Nah, they're boring now" James sighed. "It seems as though Sirius has learnt to tolerate her" he added disappointedly.

Harry shot a glance towards the pair in question and noted that James was right, the pair seemed to be working together in a companionable manner.

He shook his head.

"Where's Peter?" he asked.

"He came back a while ago and went to the library to do some stuff for potions" Remus shrugged. "How was your time with the Black widow" he returned with a smirk.

"Same as usual really" Harry answered. "We get the work done and go our separate ways and she hasn't tried to curse me yet" he explained.

"That's about as good as you can expect I suppose" James interjected.

Harry nodded.

So far things had gone much better than he ever thought possible with the girl. He quite enjoyed her company and they shared similar interests, strangely enough. He had certainly seen a side to her that he never thought he would and grudgingly accepted that she was actually quite likeable in away he did not understand. They were by no means friends, but they weren't enemies either. It seemed that they both had at least been surprised by one another and had created something akin to an effective and pleasant working relationship, something that Harry was rather pleased to be a part of as they both had a considerable amount to offer each other.

"Have you been practicing?" he asked the others, referring to their work on the Patronus charm.

"Yeah but I'm starting to feel weak so it's not working" Remus sighed.

That reminded Harry that the full moon was only a couple of days away and he had yet to managed to complete his transformation, though he knew he was very close and he had to admit that Peter's help had been invaluable to him.

"I've got a misty shield starting to form" James cut in proudly. "It's bloody tiring though" he concluded exasperatedly.

"It is" Harry agreed. "But it does get easier with practice" he assured the boy. "Hopefully I will have my transformation done before Friday, I will work on it over the next couple of days" he added in a whisper to Remus.

The boy smiled at Harry gratefully.

"Thank you" he replied sincerely. "It really does make it easier having these guys around me" he finished genuinely.

"Then I'll make sure I get it done" Harry vowed.

 _(BREAK)_

He did indeed work on it tirelessly over the next couple of days and managed to complete the change, though he knew he would have to keep working on it to make it as seemingly effortless as he had witnessed from Sirius, McGonagall and even Peter in the past.

Harry sat with the rest of the group in the common room as Remus left for the hospital wing, watched by the others who were clearly concerned about their friend.

That much was very clear to Harry. Despite how much they teased and tormented each other, they were the best of friends and cared about one another more than anything else.

"It never gets any easier seeing him in that state" Sirius spoke emotionally, breaking the silence that had fallen around them.

"No it doesn't" James agreed wholeheartedly. "I'd give anything to make him better" he declared sadly. "That's why we worked so hard on our forms" he explained as he turned to face Harry. "We asked him if there was anything that we could do to help and he said that he wished we could be with him during, so we found a way" he finished seriously.

"And it means the world to him" Harry responded knowingly.

"It does" Sirius agreed. "He always tells us how grateful he is" he added with a shake of his head.

"But we do it because he's our friend" Peter whispered, clearly in thought.

Harry nodded.

"I think we should be good to head to the shack" James muttered. "Sirius, you take Peter under my cloak and I'll go with Harry" he instructed.

The group exited the common room and entered a bathroom a short way down the corridor before pulling the cloaks over themselves and heading out into the grounds.

"You know what to do Wormtail" James whispered as they approached the Whomping Willow.

Harry heard a gentle squeak and saw a rat leap its way to the trunk and press the Knot at the bottom before disappearing into the tunnel below.

"Come on, it's safe now" James assured Harry as he began leading them towards the tree.

They entered the tunnel and removed the cloaks before lighting their wands and making their way to the end where the entrance to the shack was.

Harry couldn't help but think back on the time during third year when he had made this journey and mentally kicked himself for how stupid he had been. He should have let Remus and Sirius kill the rat then, it certainly would have saved so much trouble had he not been so moral and righteous back then, days and morals that were far behind him now.

They entered the shack and the three others immediately turned to face him, clearly waiting for something.

"Well?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"Well what?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Show us" James demanded.

Harry sighed and shook his but began focusing on the changes he needed his body to make.

It took around thirty seconds for him to complete it but he knew that he had done it right when he saw the looks of confusion on the face of James and one of astonishment on Peter and Sirius's.

"What are you?" James questioned with an ignorant frown.

"A Thestral" Peter whispered, completely in awe.

Harry changed back to his human form and sighed.

"Yeah but if you and Sirius can see me then it means everyone can" he explained.

"Understandable" Sirius cut in. "No one knows much about them and no doubt they have their own type of magic, but damn that is so cool" he finished disbelievingly.

"That will be bloody useful" James added. "You can actually fly, none of us can" he pointed out.

"Please ignore the urge to eat me" Peter pleaded worriedly causing the other three to burst into laughter.

"Don't worry Peter, I'm more likely to eat James or Sirius, a much more satisfying meal" he consoled the boy.

"You'd better not" Sirius warned.

"Nah, not you" Harry decided. "You look as though you have mange".

"Oi" Sirius protested heatedly.

"Shh, I think Moony is coming" James broke in.

Remus entered the shack looking nothing short of terrible. He was pale, shaky and sweating profusely and smiled despite this seeing that they had all come to spend the night with him.

"How're you feeling Moony?" James asked, clearly concerned for the boy.

"Same as always Prongs" Remus answered with a weak smile. "Let's see it then" he demanded, turning to face Harry.

Harry nodded and made the change, causing Remus's eyes to widen in recognition.

"That's bloody impressive" he declared. "It makes me feel safer about going out there too" he added sincerely gesturing towards the forest.

"You'll be fine Moony" Sirius assured him. "We wouldn't let anything happen to you or anyone else".

"I know Padfoot" Remus sighed. "I just wish we didn't have to do this".

"Well we do, so let's make the best of it as we always have" James suggested patting his friend firmly on the back.

"Thank you guys, you know it means everything to me that you do this right?" he asked.

"Something you tell us every month" James pointed out. "But yes, we know" he added softly.

The boy began trembling a little more violently and James stepped away.

"Change" he instructed and soon enough the four others were in their forms.

Harry watched in a mixture of horror and complete sympathy as Remus fell to the ground and began screaming as his body began convulsing and changing from that of a sixteen year old boy, to one of a grotesque human-wolf hybrid.

Once the change was complete the creature simply trembled on the ground for a moment and whimpered, clearly in a lot of pain.

Sirius whined sadly as James began to paw the ground irritably, waiting for him to stand.

It was several moments later that he did so and released a howl of both anger and hurt before turning his attention to the others in the room, his eyes freezing in a calculating glare on Harry.

The werewolf approached him and began sniffing curiously in attempt to discern if the scent was familiar and if the animal in front of him was a threat in any way. Evidently it decided that it wasn't as it turned away and decided that it wanted to roughhouse with Sirius, who happily complied.

After sometime they exited into the grounds of the school and led the werewolf into the forest where they spent the night simply running through the trees and enjoying the crisp, night time air in their forms, making sure they returned to the shack in plenty of time before the sun came up.

Harry was as happy as he could ever remember being in his entire life. He had heard from both Sirius and Remus how special these moments were, but the description in no way did the actual experience justice and he reveled in that feeling as the boy's returned to the dormitory, under the guise of the cloaks, to get some much needed rest.

 _(BREAK)_

The weekend came and went with the group mostly relaxing and recovering from their night in the forest. Remus in particular was exhausted, as he always was after the full moon but he was in very good spirits. Something had definitely changed within them and they had grown closer than ever having experienced the most sacred thing to them and Harry now being a part of that had formed a new kind of bond.

Although they had all been welcoming towards him, it was clear to Harry that they had now moved on in their relationship both as a unit and with each member individually.

Remus was so grateful that Harry had not changed his mind about him after seeing him at his worst, something that had worried him. But Harry had come through and shown him the kind of person he was. He was loyal, caring and even as protective of the boy as he was his own brother and just as much as the others were.

Sirius had known him the longest but even he had been surprised how well Harry had dealt with everything and had not even hesitated to join them and promised that the secret would stay with him. Sirius could be dense at times when it came to emotions but he had no doubt that Harry had meant every word and genuinely cared for them all the same way they cared for each other before he had even come along.

Peter too could not be happier with how everything had turned out and even looked up to Harry considerably. He was more gifted than all of them but he did not have any of the arrogance that both James and Sirius still had, though he had more right to boast than any of them. He not only respected the boy but he actually liked him and always felt safe around him, even when they were around the Slytherin's during and after Defense classes.

James was simply proud of the other boy and he swelled with that pride as he watched Harry interacting with his other friends. He truly belonged with them and it felt as though he had always been a part of the group.

Harry just absorbed every moment and detail he spent with them knowing how special it truly was to be a part of everything they shared, something he had dreamed about since he was a child when he would lie in bed at night and wish he had a family. He had one now and it meant everything to him and he would not allow anything or anyone to take that away again. This time he was ready to prevent it, and he would do it, no matter what it took.

Charms passed in the usual fashion as Flitwick had them practicing concealment charms and having each student attempt it in front of the class. The charms themselves were not particularly difficult to cast but they could be tiring to maintain if one had little experience with them.

Harry had demonstrated a perfect Disillusionment Charm that rendered him near invisible, much to Professor Flitwick's delight. He had been given 20 points for his effort and promised a much more difficult set of spells to attempt if he continued to impress the way he was.

Creatures passed similarly with the class studying a baby unicorn that was simply stunning. It was bright gold and glowed gently in the dull, late September morning.

They had been instructed to take notes on the properties of the animal and the differences and similarities it shared with its adult counterpart; a rather relaxed and enjoyable lesson for all.

Defense as usual was spent discussing a creature of sorts, this week being werewolves, and being glared at by the Slytherin's.

Harry had grown rather bored by them all but couldn't help the itch he felt to just simply curse them, Rudolphus, Rabastan and Snape in particular were really trying his patience at times but he found that if he smiled at them it would really get under their skin, so he made sure he did it often.

He was relieved when Tuesday morning came along and he knew he only had potions to attend and then he could spend his day training before he had to complete the Defense work with Bellatrix in the evening as he had for the three weeks prior.

Slughorn had the class brewing a Blood Replenishing Potion, one that Harry had become familiar with throughout his training with the unspeakables and lessons with Croaker who had insisted he learnt the most useful medical potions, should the need to brew them ever arise.

Once he had completed that he made his way to the room of requirement to work on his spells. He had been focusing on his power and had managed to make some improvement, though he knew there was little else he could do to dampen it on physical and impact spells, not that he would really need to as he would only be using them in combat situations and he certainly was not planning on taking prisoners.

He was running around ten minutes late when he reached the classroom, having not had time to shower before dinner so he had rushed one before coming.

He entered the room to find Bellatrix already working on the spells they had been assigned.

"Sorry I'm late, I was running a bit behind" he explained apologetically.

"Just do the last two on the sheet" she returned irritably, not even looking up to acknowledge him.

"What, no threats of dismemberment?" he asked jokingly.

"I've got more important things to think about than you being late, so just get on with it then we can get out of here you idiot" she growled.

Harry just shook his head. Clearly she was not in a good mood today.

He took out his parchment and the two completed the work in silence, with Bellatrix keeping her attention firmly on what she was doing.

"Done" Harry declared as he finished writing the final sentence.

"Are you waiting for a trophy?" Bellatrix retorted.

Harry just frowned at the girl and shook his head.

"Fine" Harry sighed. "Same time next week?" he questioned.

"Whatever" Bellatrix answered simply.

Harry packed his things away wanting to get away from her and the mood she was in. He had barely stepped into the corridor when he felt something impact against his shoulder and immediately felt blood running from a deep wound where the cutting curse had hit him.

He turned only to see a furious looking Bellatrix glaring at him the same way her older counterpart had in the Department of Mysteries, her wand aimed directly at him.

He barely got a glance at her when his attention was dragged away from the girl by a furious voice.

"You thought you'd get away with cursing me you bastard" Rudolphus LeStrange spat as he came out of the adjoining classroom.

He was instantly joined by Rabastan and Snape as they came from two others and now had him surrounded.

Instinctively he raised a silver dome shield that protected him on all sides and growled in fury.

He had been tricked. The one time he hadn't checked the map and he had been ambushed by them.

He was furious with them but he was more mad at himself for being so lax and neglecting his usual level of vigilance.

He should never have trusted Bellatrix and because he had, even though it was a small amount, he had paid the price. The pair weren't particularly close but he felt betrayed by the girl and again felt a wave of fury overcome him as the first spells impacted against his shield.

He had of course been prepared for such an attack during his training but he hadn't considered the fact that he would need to use it at school.

He growled again as another series of spells reverberated against his shield and he could here shouts of rage coming from his attackers as his shield did not even waver under the onslaught.

He switched control of the shield so that he could maintain it wandlessly and began twirling his wand around him, building his power as much as he could.

After a third salve struck against his barrier he dropped it and ducked, releasing his spell at the same time.

A sound much like that of a canon blast sounded throughout the castle and the floor and walls around him cracked under the power of his spell.

After the smoke and debris had cleared he looked around him, wand at the ready only to find his four assailants completely unconscious and he immediately bound them all in thick ropes to ensure they could not attack again should they wake.

He had just finished and was ready to tend to his wound when Dumbledore, along with the entirety of the staff rounded the corner with their wands drawn.

"What is the meaning of this Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore demanded.

"These bastards attacked me" Harry ground out angrily. "I only defended myself and as you can see I was very lenient with them" he pointed out.

He took a step closer to the headmaster before he spoke again.

"Next time, I won't be" he growled, his eyes glowing dangerously.

Dumbledore swallowed deeply before speaking.

"What happened?" he asked gently, wanting the boy to calm down.

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Myself and Black were doing our Defense work for the week and we'd just finished" he began. "I went to leave and she cursed me in the back and then these idiots appeared and tried to attack me" he concluded.

"I see" Dumbledore mused, stroking his beard in thought.

"Rest assured they will be punished Mr. Potter" he promised. "Now, I think you should head to the hospital wing to get that looked at" he suggested.

Harry shook his head.

He had a very good idea of what Dumbledore's idea of a punishment was but knew there was little he could do. He only had himself to blame after all for his laxity and putting his trust in the wrong people.

"I'll fix it myself" he sighed. "And Professor?" he added to Mortlake. "As you can understand, I will not be working with her any longer" he said firmly.

"Of course Potter" he conceded. "Find another pair to work with" he offered.

Harry just nodded and left the professor's to deal with the four Slytherin's and headed back to the common room.

He entered it to find everyone whispering furiously and looking worriedly towards the door.

"What the bloody hell was that noise?" Sirius asked as Harry closed the portrait behind.

"Your wonderful cousin and some of her friends decided to attack me" Harry sighed.

"Are you ok?" James asked worriedly.

"Yeah, she cursed me in the back but they will have a nasty headache for a few days" he explained pointing to his shoulder where he had been hit.

"Shit, you should go to the hospital wing" Sirius declared. "That's really deep" he added with a grimace.

Harry shook his head.

"Just help me get my shirt off, I can fix it myself" he instructed.

Sirius and James shared a look but Remus stepped forward and helped him remove his shirt while the rest of the house looked on in morbid curiosity.

"Can you place the tip of my in the centre of it?" he asked Remus, who immediately guided his hand to where it needed to be.

He then thought of the skin knitting charm that Filmore had taught him, one he had invented himself and the wound sealed immediately, only leaving behind a red mark to indicate where the wound had been.

"Here, let me clean it for you" the werewolf offered as he began siphoning off the congealed blood. "Harry, where did you get all these scars?" he inquired with a raised eyebrows.

"Just here and there" Harry answered dismissively as he pulled his bloodied shirt back on.

Remus shared a look with the others but did not ask further.

"What spell did you use that made that much noise?" Sirius questioned.

"It's a modified concussion spell and depending on how powerful you make it, will leave people out cold for a while, I imagine they'll be out until lunch time tomorrow" he mused.

"Are you ok Harry?" Lily cut in, clearly concerned about the boy.

"I've had worse" Harry shrugged. "Now if you will excuse me I'm going to shower and wash the smell of blood off me" he added before heading up to the dormitory.

"Where did all of those scars come from?" Remus questioned James.

"I don't know" the other boy sighed. "I don't know much about Harry's education and I was told not to ask" he explained.

"What kind of education leaves you looking like that?" Sirius wondered aloud.

"Merlin knows" James whispered sadly.

 _(BREAK)_

The few weeks after the attack had passed quickly for Harry as he once again immersed himself into his training, now with a new purpose about him. He had vowed that he would not allow himself to be caught off guard and leave himself vulnerable for an attack like that again and his mood had reverted back to had it had been the night Sirius had been killed.

Outwardly he was completely impassive and unshakeable, but on the inside he was seething and continuously had to swallow back the anger.

As he had suspected, the Slytherin's that had attempted to harm him had only been given two weeks detention each, something that did nothing to quell the fury he was a feeling and he had happily joined James and Remus to continue the Defense work, now completely ignoring that Bellatrix even existed, not even sparing her the briefest of glances in lessons.

When he wasn't training, which was now a rarity, he spent time with the Marauder's as he had but also more time with Lily, helping her with her project and just getting to know the girl, something he was greatly enjoying.

Today was the first match of the Quidditch season and Gryffindor were up against Slytherin, who would certainly be after his blood after he had cursed them and left them in a rather pitiful state for several days after. It turns out that he had put much more power into his spell than he had intended to and the foursome had been unconscious for almost two days and had spent a week recovering in the hospital wing.

He sighed as Frank gave the team the signal that it was now time to head out.

He put all of the other thoughts that had been plaguing him out of his mind and used his occlumency skills to their full potential to focus on catching the snitch, something that Frank had instructed he got at the earliest possible time, if Gryffindor were ahead of course.

With a final check that he had everything he exited the changing rooms and took to the air as he entered the stadium.

 _(BREAK)_

Lily watched in a mixture of awe and horror as Harry avoided everything that the Slytherin team was throwing at him; bludgeors, attempts to simply throw him from his broom and down right cheating with their obvious attempts to cause him harm.

He however seemed to take it all in his stride and was completely unfazed by what the other team was trying to accomplish.

She had already chewed most of her nails down as far as she could from her worry and once again screamed and covered her eyes as he dived from several dozen feet to avoid another attack from the LeStrange brothers who were completely focused on him, not at all bothered that they were losing by 200 points.

"It seems that Lils has got herself a crush on the new Potter" Marlene teased.

Lily simply scowled at the girl before she sighed and shook her head.

"It's really not like that" she said, sounding more than a little disappointed.

"Oh come off it" Malene exclaimed. "He's gorgeous, he's smart and just look at him fly, the boy's got everything" she added.

"I know" Lily returned heatedly. "And everything tells me that I should like him like that but I just don't" she elaborated, with a shake of her head.

"How can you not like him?" Alice broke in disbelievingly. "You spend so much time together too, has he not even tried to flirt with you?".

"Not even once" Lily shrugged. "But I haven't with him either". "I feel like I should like him but every time I try to think of him that way something just tells me that it's wrong" she explained. "I don't understand it because he is everything that I want in someone but it just can't be him, I mean I care about him more than I ever have anyone else but just not like that" she finished sadly.

"Well how is it then?" Marlene asked with a frown.

"I feel like I'm his sister or something" Lily answered uncertainly.

"So you wouldn't mind if someone else dated him" Alice asked.

"I wouldn't let either of you near him, I know what you're like" Lily replied knowingly, scowling at the pair.

"Ok, well what about if it was a nice young innocent witch, like Hestia, she's beautiful and never had a boyfriend?" Alice asked.

"I don't know, I feel like I just need to protect him" Lily whispered. "But it's obvious that he doesn't need it" she added, clearly frustrated by her own thoughts.

"I don't get that at all" Marlene declared.

"Neither do I" Lily admitted sadly.

 _(BREAK)_

Bellatrix watched through narrowed eyes as Potter embarrassed her house team over and over again and although she was furious with him, she had to admit that he was more than a little impressive on a broom.

She shook her head and thought back over the past few weeks since everything had gone wrong. She had no memory whatsoever of what had occurred. She had simply left to meet him and woke up two days later to the news that she had attacked him, something that she never had any intention of doing.

She had even said as much to Dumbledore but the man clearly did not believe her, especially when the LeStrange's and Snape used the exact same excuse.

At first she had been hurt that he would believe she would do it willingly. She had never had an easy job of making friends, partly because of the reputation of her family and partly because she was not a very open person. She had quickly realised that her house was full of morons who she had no desire to spend time with but that had left her rather alone, which she simply got on with and focused on her school work.

But then Potter had come along and he actually understood her sense of humour and despite the fact that he had preconceived ideas of the kind of person she was, they quickly left and she actually enjoyed his company although she wouldn't admit it.

He was clever, even more so than she was she grudgingly admitted and he was funny and had never once leered at her in an unwanted way nor attempted anything other than tentative flirting and welcome banter.

But that had been then and this was now. Now she was furious with him for simply refusing to work with her and not even attempt to hear her out. The boy hadn't even looked her way at any point, always exited the class first and was nowhere to be found once he had left.

Today would be different however. Today Bellatrix Black would get her say and give him a piece of her mind, no matter what she had to do.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry stood under the hot stream of water in the changing after a long and tiresome game against the Slytherin team with Gryffindor having been victorious by 400 points. He was in no rush to leave as he enjoyed one of the more simple things in life; a hot shower to help alleviate the aches and pains he had accumulated over the past week of pushing himself to his limits.

Eventually he turned the water off and stepped out of the cubicle, dried himself off and pulled on some clean underwear and trousers before taking a seat on a bench.

He took a deep breath and absorbed the peace and quiet as he rest of the team had left some time ago.

He truly had pushed himself harder than he ever had. He knew he had been a little negligent with his training since he had arrived at Hogwarts, but those days were certainly behind him now. He had become more vicious, less hesitant and more dangerous in his pursuit to be the best fighter he could be. Any emotion he felt was swallowed as he had learnt to do before he came here; it was for the best after all, he had a job to do and there was nothing that was going to stand in his way.

He heard the door to the changing room creak as it opened and his wand was in his hand immediately, aimed at the person now standing in the doorway.

"Come to have another go?" he asked neutrally, though he had narrowed his eyes.

"For merlin sake Potter, if I wanted to curse you do you think I'd ask the LeStrange's of all people to help, I'd do it myself" Bellatrix ground out angrily.

" _That's exactly what you would do, you and your future husband"_ he seethed inwardly.

He said nothing but kept his eye on the girl.

"I have no idea what happened that night, I left the common room to meet you and that's all I remember" She explained irritably.

Harry just shrugged.

" _A likely excuse"_ he replied internally.

"Is that the excuse you gave to Dumbledore?" he asked.

"It's the truth" Bellatrix returned heatedly. "Rudolphus and the rest said the same" she added with sneer.

"Why are you even here? It's not like it actually matters" Harry bit back.

Bellatrix swallowed deeply and actually looked a little hurt, an expression that changed quickly to anger.

"Fine" she shrugged.

She turned around but paused at the door.

"You know, I thought you were different" she muttered. "It turns out you're just like every body else, a prejudice and ignorant git" She finished before exiting the room and leaving Harry alone once more.

As far as Harry was concerned it didn't matter if she was telling the truth but he knew for a fact he was more mad at himself for being caught out than he was at her. This was Bellatrix Black, the future Mrs. LeStrange who had taken away the most important person he had ever had.

He knew he was being a complete arse to her but he would not take the same chance that had come back and bit him already. He just couldn't.

' _It was only a temporary thing anyway, as soon as Christmas came they would have had no reason to ever speak again'_ he reminded himself.

The one thing that he would grudgingly admit was that he did miss working with her. Working with James and Remus was fine but it just wasn't the same.

Yes, they would laugh and joke but it felt like there was something missing and the fact was it was Bellatrix and Harry was very much aware of it. There was just something about her that he didn't understand. It was something that appealed to him and actually made the prospect of completing the tedious work enjoyable and something to look forward.

He didn't know exactly what it was about Bellatrix Black that had this effect on him but it was something that he missed having.

He shook his head firmly.

' _It's better this way'_ he reiterated as he pushed the memories of her and the insane woman she would become to the front of his mind.

 _(BREAK)_

Halloween arrived at Hogwarts and the group of boy's, minus Remus who had had a particularly exhausting change this month, were eagerly anticipating the evening's feast where their first prank of the year would be pulled.

Harry had been tasked to complete the charm work on everything that needed it, mostly to conceal the transfiguration spells that had been placed on the items by Sirius and James. Peter had worked tirelessly on the potions they would need for the past fortnight and now everything was ready. All that was left was for them to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Things had been hectic for Harry with the addition of all the work they had put in on the prank but he had taken it all in his stride. He had continued his rigorous training regime and managed to complete all of his homework without any problems.

The truth was that he was keeping himself busy on purpose so his thoughts did not wander on to things he no longer wanted to think about, but there were times that being busy was not enough and those thoughts would surface and he would be forced to swallow deeply and work through his occlumency tactics to rid himself of them.

The one thing that had managed to truly make him smile was the night that he had spent his next adventure with the Marauder's in their animal forms to help Remus through his monthly change. The other boy's had officially named him as a fully certified Marauder and had given him his own nickname; shade, simply because he could barely been seen in the night, only his emerald eyes were visible. They had even gone to the effort to add his name to their version of the map as only James was aware that Harry had one of his own.

The time for the feast arrived and the group made their way to the Great Hall, all four in attendance both eager and nervous to see if and how successful everything would turn out to be.

Harry entered the room and caught sight of Bellatrix who simply narrowed her eyes at him, something she had gotten into the habit of doing on the rare occasion that they would catch sight of each other.

From what Harry had heard she had quite badly cursed Rudolphus and the others and had landed herself an extra month of detention so he was not the only one who was no longer in her good graces.

He had learnt to shrug off the animosity she clearly had for him and even now he simply shook his head before taking his seat to wait for the show to start.

The room had been decorated for the occasion as he always remembered it being. There were charmed bats flying around their heads and several dozen pumpkins spread throughout the hall along with several other charmed decorations. The ghosts of Hogwarts were also gliding around the room attempting to spook unsuspecting students, with Peeves of course taking it too far by throwing sweets at people, causing him to be chased from the room by a furious Bloody Baron.

As planned, it was around 15 minutes after Dumbledore had taken his first sip of his goblet that the first signs that their plan had been successful was seen as a thick green smoke quickly enveloped the entirety of the staff table, hiding them from view.

Many of the students stared at the smoke, nervous about the unusual happenings that were taking place.

Eventually it was cleared, evidently by Dumbledore who was stood, clutching his wand and looking nothing short of comical, in fact, the entire staff table had indeed been affected, much to the delight of the four Gryffindor's.

Once the shock had warn off the entire room burst into laughter as the professor's began to realise what had happened and began to urgently point at one another.

"Is this your doing Albus?" McGonagall hissed.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"I assure you Minerva it has nothing to do with me, it seems that we are the victims of a practical joke" he sighed. "Though you do make a fine chicken, if I may be so bold" he added with a chuckle.

"How is that possible, I thought you could detect such magic?" McGonagall questioned with a frown.

"Alas, I believe that the concealment charms were cast to perfection, even I were not aware of them" he explained.

McGonagall and Flitwick immediately looked towards the Gryffindor table to where the Marauder's were hunched over, clearly in fits of laughter.

"Impressive" Professor Flitwick squeaked sincerely.

"Filius, your hair is green and you have an orange face" McGonagall pointed out.

"I believe he is an oompa loompa" Professor Burbage cut in amusedly.

"A what?" McGonagall inquired.

"Small orange men from Loompaland, it's a muggle thing" Burbage answered dismissively.

"Wha' am I spose ta be?" Hagrid asked.

Burbage sighed.

"I believe you are supposed to be a bigfoot, a muggle creature of myth" she explained.

"Ahh" Hagrid deadpanned.

"It looks as though I have some detentions to hand out" McGonagall grumbled as she made to stand.

"Now Minerva, it is all done in jest, I am sure it will wear off soon" Dumbledore spoke, trying to placate the woman.

McGonagall sighed.

"I suppose that it is rather impressive magic" she conceded.

"Indeed it is" Dumbledore agreed. "That will be ten points to each person involved" he called loudly and turned his attention to the four house hour glasses to see the Gryffindor one increase by the given points.

"Just as I thought" McGonagall growled.

Harry and the others looked on in sheer joy as the results of their efforts could be seen in front of them. Most of the staff had taken it in good nature but a few were clearly unhappy, Mortlake in particular looked murderous as Count Dracula and Slughorn gave them a respectful nod as he accepted the fact that he had been dressed as an actual walrus.

Dumbledore was currently Captain Hook and Merrythought had been turned into a very creepy clown.

"I can't believe we actually pulled it off" Sirius exclaimed.

"And we got rewarded for it" James added, shaking his head in shock.

"I told you it was better this way" Harry pointed out. "And now we know the Christmas one will work too, but we can add to it to make it better, but we will need Remus for that" he finished cryptically.

The other boy's eyes lit up at the prospect of improving what they had already achieved so Harry explained his idea to them knowing that they would not give him a peaceful moment until he did so.

 _(BREAK)_

The next day found Harry putting extra time into his training as he had helped himself to extra helpings of treacle tart at the feast and had cut his session short yesterday because of homework he had neglected while preparing the prank.

The morning in transfiguration had gone as best as they could have hoped and even though McGonagall was clearly unhappy with them, they managed to get through her class without provoking her ire.

He sighed in relief as he finished his spell work for the day and removed his singed and torn t-shirt that had become this way from his exertions, leaving him in muggle tracksuit bottoms, his trainers and a vest.

He exited the room of requirement intent on taking a shower and catching up with the others who had gone to their other lessons; Peter to Herbology and James and Sirius to Ancient Runes with Remus still in the hospital wing recovering.

He entered the common room to find it surprisingly full and he frowned at the somber mood that he could feel permeating from the people situated.

"HARRY!" Lily shouted as she spotted him and ran to meet him at the entrance.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You don't know?" she returned worriedly.

"Know what?" he questioned.

"Peter has been looking you, James is in the hospital wing, he was attacked" she explained hurriedly.

Harry immediately turned and exited the room, sprinting towards the hospital wing, his heart lodged somewhere deep in his stomach with fear.

He barged his way into the room to be greeted by the sight of a guilty looking Sirius, Peter, Dumbledore and the Potter parents along with several other members of staff.

"Harry!" Dorea sighed, clearly relieved to see him.

He approached the bed and swallowed a lump down at the sight of the boy in it.

James was pale, very pale and sweating profusely, his back heavily bandaged, thought they were soaked in blood.

"We've managed to slow down the bleeding but it won't stop" the matron explained.

"What happened?" Harry demanded in a dangerously casual tone.

"James was going to the library after Runes and I came here to see Remus" Sirius answered.

"Who did it?" Harry asked further, already having a very good idea on who the perpetrators were.

"Rudolphus and Snape" Sirius growled.

"Now Mr. Black, we have no proof of that" Dumbledore cut in.

Sirius caught Harry's eye and mouthed the word 'map' to him to confirm he knew who it was for a fact.

"So you are going to do nothing" Harry stated angrily to the headmaster. "They get away with two weeks detention for attacking me and they get away scot free for this" he added.

Dumbledore sighed.

"What's this?" Charlus broke in angrily. "They've done this before and they are still here?"

"I'm afraid without a confession there is no proof as no one witnessed the attack" Dumbledore explained.

Harry growled.

"And you wonder why everything is going to shit out there" he spoke neutrally, shaking his head. "They get away with it in here, they do not learn Dumbledore" he elaborated. "You are far too soft" he finished sternly.

"Now Mr. Potter they are children, they deserve a chance to change their ways and learn from their mistakes" the headmaster tried.

"And how many times must they make these mistakes Albus before they learn?" McGonagall piped up.

Dumbledore just shook his head.

"So, they try to kill him and you will do nothing" Harry hissed, his anger beginning to rise. "Look at him" he commanded. "He is half bloody dead and you will not act, have you checked their wands?" he asked furiously.

"I am not able to do that without their parents present and I imagine they would clear the spells from them" Dumbledore answered.

This did nothing to appease Harry and his rage continued to boil further inside him, his eyes beginning to glow dangerously.

"So a confession will do it?" he asked casually.

"I'm afraid it is the only thing that will work" Dumbledore sighed.

"Fine" Harry agreed and exited the room quickly.

"Shit" Charlus cursed. "We have to go after him Dor" he warned urgently.

The members of staff along with the Potter's, Sirius and Peter followed Harry from the room, not knowing what it was he was going to do.

Harry exited the hospital wing and took a few shortcuts to the Great Hall where the students were eating dinner immediately spotting the LeStrange's and Snape laughing, clearly at what they had done to James.

Rabastan spotted him first and alerted the other two to his presence and all three of them shot to their feet and drew their wands.

"Come for some revenge?" Rudolphus sneered.

The hall fell silent as they watched the events unfolding before them, none removing the focus from Harry and the Slytherin's.

Harry simply smirked at the three and as expected they attacked first with Rabastan firing and orange spell at him which he simply batted back towards him, hitting him squarely in the face.

The boy simply fell to the ground limp, his eyes, ears, nose and mouth leaking blood.

Before any of the other two could react Harry fired off a powerful bludgeoner towards Snape and whipped his wand in an upwards motion and summoned Rudolphus towards him with the boy dropping his wand in mid air.

Snape attempted to erect a shield but the spell passed through it as though it wasn't there and caught him in the shoulder, sending him crashing into the wall.

Rudolphus landed in front of Harry and he grabbed the boy by the throat, dragged him to his feet and placed his wand between his eyes.

"Now, which one of you bastards cursed my brother?" he asked casually. "Now don't lie to me or I will start breaking bones" he warned with a whisper.

It was then that the occupants of the hospital wing arrived and stared in shock at what they saw. Both Rabastan and Snape were not in a good state and Harry had Rudolphus by the throat, clearly attempting to get information from the boy.

Dorea had been the first in the room and had caught the final words that Harry spoke and she became fraught with worry, not wanting Harry to get himself in any further trouble.

"Harry please don't" she called weakly.

Harry ignored her and continued his interrogation.

"It was Snape" Rudolphus gasped. "He used a curse that he invented" he added frantically.

"What curse?" Harry demanded.

"I don't know, but he said it won't stop bleeding until it's countered" he choked out.

Harry felt his rage boil over; so the bastards had tried to kill him.

The end of his wand began to singe the skin between Rudolphus's eyes and he hissed in pain.

Dumbledore made an attempt to step forward but he was stopped by the firm grip of Charlus who drew his wand as he pulled the headmaster back.

"You will not intervene" he hissed. "Your lack of inaction has caused this and it is now a family matter, do not make me curse you" he threatened.

"Harry" Dorea called again. "Please stop, he told you what you wanted to know, please, do it for me" she pleaded.

Harry looked towards the woman and swallowed deeply, he didn't want to upset her anymore than she was.

"You are very lucky that my mother is here" he whispered to Rudolphus as he turned back to face him.

He pulled the boy closer so they were almost nose to nose before he spoke again.

"But if you even look at my brother in a way I don't like again, I will fucking flay you alive, got it?" he questioned the boy.

Rudolphus swallowed deeply and whimpered before nodding his understanding.

"Good" Harry growled and let the boy fall to the ground where he shook uncontrollably.

He then made his way around the Slytherin table, the occupants avoiding him as he did so and roused Snape, dragging the boy to his feet and leading him towards the door.

"You may want to get the other LeStrange some help" he suggested to Dumbledore. "Still think he can be redeemed after firing that curse?" he added irritably.

Dumbledore recognised the curse immediately and managed to counter it in time for it to not cause too many problems. A few days in the hospital wing and a few Blood Replenishing Potions would be sufficient.

' _Definitely more to him than meets the eye'_ Bellatrix mused, completely in shock by what she had seen.

 _(BREAK)_

The next few days were particularly trying for Harry, his family and friends as they waited for James to regain consciousness.

Snape had grudgingly applied the counter curse and had had his wand confiscated, only to allowed to have it for his lessons and had been given detention every night for the rest of the year.

Harry himself had received a months worth of detention but he did not care. All he cared about was that James was safe, nothing else mattered to him right now.

It seemed that everyone in Gryffindor had been to visit the boy and all seemed to be handling Harry's outburst better than he had anticipated, most claiming that had he not done what he did then James probably would have died.

They understood that he had been emotional and probably would not have acted in the way he did under normal circumstances, still seeing him as the ever-polite boy he had always been to them all.

It was on the third day that James finally woke and looked at all of those gathered with a frown.

"I didn't miss Christmas did I?" he asked worriedly.

"James, it's only November" Dorea explained.

"So we're still on then?" he questioned looking towards the rest of the Marauder's.

"On for what exactly Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked suspiciously.

"Nothing Professor, are you sure he's not delirious?" Sirius asked the matron.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and simply fell asleep in the chair he was sat in and had refused to leave for the past few days.

 **A/N**

 **Now, the first thing I am going to point out is that this Snape is not the one attempting to repent for his mistakes. This is a sixteen year old Snape intent on joining the Death Eater's and I am not purposely bashing him, he's just a bastard.**

 **The next chapter is where things are really going to take a turn in many ways, let's just say that shit is going to get very real and leave it at that but we will finally get a glimpse of what our resident Dark Lord is up to and Harry will meet the rest of the Blacks.**

 **Thank you as always for your reviews and so forth it really does mean the world to me.**

 **Continue to do so and Follow and Favourite also.**

 **TBR**


	5. A Black Christmas

**A/N**

 **I am posting my facebook link here so feel free to add me or message me and I apologise for those I have not gotten back to yet, I get a surprising amount of messages, ideas and requests. The link can also be found on my autors page.**

 **Facebook link: . ?id=100006893440322**

Chapter 5: A Black Christmas

The rest of November passed without any further incident; it seemed as though the Slytherin's that had been causing problems had been suitably cowed, for now.

It took a few weeks for James to be fit enough to leave the hospital wing due to how much damage had been done to him courtesy of the curse and everyone agreed that even though Harry had acted rather rashly, he had done the right thing.

But thankfully things had turned out well in the end and Harry had completed his assigned detentions with Filch. The man had attempted to have Harry clean out the bathrooms without the use of magic, even resorting to confiscating his wand to ensure that it was done. Harry however simply used his spare wand to complete the task and spent the rest of the time reading and adding new spells to his already impressive arsenal.

As November gave way to December the weather outside the castle seemed to have changed overnight, from blustery winds and sporadic rainfall to near blizzard conditions that would see the braver of the students spending their time having snowball fights and the more discernible avoiding the treacherous conditions as much as possible.

Professor Merrythought, a man well known for his love of the outdoors, had even postponed outside lessons due to the poor weather and instead opted to have the class study inside where he would bring along a selection of much more delicate creatures for them to study.

All in all things had settled into a peaceful routine for the occupants of the castle and many were looking forward to spending time with their families in the upcoming holidays that would be starting the very next day.

Harry was among those that craved time away from the castle, something he had never expected to desire, but the time at Hogwarts leading up to the festive period had been stressful and difficult for the most part and he was certainly in need of a break away where he could spend time with the other Potters and not have to be on guard continuously.

Before that could happen however, there was one last thing that needed to be done before the Marauder's could leave and that was the prank they had been planning since arriving at the castle.

The tedious leg work had been done as they had tirelessly planned and put all of the finishing touches on to the details and all they could do now was wait, and hope that it was once again taken in the spirit that it was intended; it was only a bit of fun after all.

The time for the feast arrived and the Marauders were among the first students to reach the Great Hall, not wanting to miss any of the festivities. As they took their seats Dumbledore gave them a calculative glare, a gentle smile and amused shake of his head; clearly he had suspicions that something was going to happen though he made no effort to prevent it.

"Do you think he knows?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"Definitely" Harry answered. "I doubt you'd get him with the same trick twice".

"Why isn't he stopping it?" Peter questioned confusedly.

"Because he's game for a laugh" James surmised. "He knows we wouldn't do anything harmful".

"I bet McGonagall will do her nut this time" Remus interjected.

"Nah, even if she does, Dumbledore will stop her" James responded confidently.

"Then you won't mind taking the blame for this one then" Remus challenged.

"No can do Moony, I have plausible deniability, I've been in the hospital wing" James pointed out.

"I think it's your turn to take this one Remus" Peter cut in. "You put the extra piece to it".

"But it was Harry's idea" Remus grumbled.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, the last full moon must have addled your brains" Harry replied in an innocent whisper.

"Traitors" the werewolf mumbled.

When the students and staff were settled Dumbledore took his place at the podium to address the room as he always did on such occasions.

"It seems that the winter holidays are finally upon us" he began. "I truly hope that once we all return to resume our studies that any unpleasantness that has plagued us thus far this year can be forgotten and we can move on, we must stand united through difficult times such as we are now facing after all" he continued seriously. "But now, we once again we have a feast to indulge in so let me be the first to wish you all a very merry…"

At this point he was cut off as a burst of flame could be seen at the door and Fawkes appeared clutching the sorting hat in his talons. Dumbledore simply frowned as the bird flew towards him and dropped the hat, causing the headmaster to instinctively reach out to catch the aged relic.

The moment he did so a thick white smoke began pouring from the opening of the hat and quickly hid the staff table from view. Once the plume had ceased the hat disappeared in another burst of flames as Fawkes returned it back to its resting pace in Dumbledore's office.

When the headmaster managed to banish the remainder of the fog the students were treated to the sight of Father Christmas standing before them with a look of bemusement on his face, surrounded by a staff that were either sporting antlers or now dressed as snowmen.

The students burst into a round of applause and cheering as they realised what had happened and Dumbledore simply shook his head.

"I do believe I am jolly old Saint Nick" he deduced.

"Must we suffer this indignity at every feast?" McGonagall sighed as she caught sight of her red nose. "How on earth did they get the phoenix and hat on board" She added irritably.

"Fawkes is rather fond of Mr. Potter but I believe his involvement was the hats doing" Dumbledore mused aloud, stroking his much less straight beard.

"At least they got the hierarchy right" Burbage cut in. "You are the lead reindeer after all Minerva" she explained with a snicker.

"Oh they are going to hang for this" McGonagall vowed.

"We should just be grateful that it is only costumes, I'm sure it could be much more embarrassing if they wanted it to be" Slughorn interjected.

"Why am I the only elf" Flitwick piped up, gesturing to his green outfit and hat complete with white and red socks.

"It rather suits you Filius" Dumbledore praised amusedly.

He then turned his attention back to the students before speaking to the room once more.

"I wish the only thing left to do is wish you all a merry Christmas" he sighed.

The moment he mentioned the word Christmas an orchestra could be heard throughout the room playing 'Santa Claus is coming to town'.

Dumbledore simply shook his head and took his seat, not wanting to trigger anything else.

"That was amazing" Sirius declared. "How did you get the phoenix involved?" he asked Harry.

"That was nothing to do with me" Harry denied firmly. "The hat must have done it".

"Damn that hat is cool, maybe we can get him a wash or something" Sirius shrugged.

 _(BREAK)_

It was the next day that found the boys settling into a compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express, ready to make the journey home for a couple of weeks.

"Thank Merlin" James sighed. "No offense, but I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed in my own room".

"I'm just grateful that I don't have to rub that ointment into your back anymore" Sirius grumbled.

"Hey, you won the coin toss fair and square" James pointed out.

"Lost James, I lost the coin toss" Sirius reminded him heatedly.

"You should feel privileged that you had the opportunity to get such an up close view of a fine specimen" James replied. "You should consider yourself lucky that it wasn't my arse" he added.

Sirius visibly cringed at the very thought.

"So what are you guys doing for the holidays?" Harry asked Peter and Remus.

""My parents and myself are going to Sweden" Peter revealed excitedly.

"Just a quiet one for me and my family this year, just what I need" Remus explained, clearly content with his plans.

"And you will be graced with my presence" Sirius piped up, looking at Harry amusedly.

"Great just what we need, a dog pissing up the tree" he returned sarcastically.

"I don't piss on things" Sirius growled.

"We all see you doing it Padfoot" James broke in. "And we can smell it in the forest, you definitely piss on trees" he finished accusingly.

"There's just so many, it's hard to ignore" Sirius whined.

"Well if the Christmas tree smells like it I will curse you or neuter you" Harry warned.

"You wouldn't" Sirius exclaimed worriedly. "How will the witches of Hogwarts cope, what would they do without me?" he questioned dramatically.

"You mean Marlene" Peter interjected.

"That's it" Sirius declared. "That's the last time any of you mention her or so help me I will curse you all" he threatened.

"Oh come off it Sirius, we all know you actually enjoyed working with her" James stated.

"I didn't have a bloody choice, neither did Harry or Peter" the boy pointed out. "How was it working with Rookwood, you never mentioned it?" he inquired.

Peter shrugged.

"He only really spoke to me once" he explained. "After that he just told me what to do".

"Well thank merlin it's over with now" Sirius sighed.

The journey passed pleasantly for the group as they played a few games of exploding snap and gobstones, talked amongst themselves and started planning a few more pranks for when they returned to school.

Soon enough the train arrived at Kings Cross and they pulled their trunks down from the rack and made their way on to the platform to meet the Potter parents who were waiting for them.

"See you in a couple of weeks guys" James called to Peter and Remus as they exited with their parents.

Both boys acknowledged the farewell with a wave as they left.

"Coming with us Sirius?" Dorea asked, shooting a glance further down the platform where Walburga was greeting Regulus.

"If that's ok" Sirius answered nervously.

"Always" Dorea replied with a warm smile.

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief before they themselves headed for the exit to floo home.

They arrived at Potter Manor and were about to head upstairs when they were called back by Dorea who was looking a little nervous.

"We've been invited to the Black home for boxing day" She revealed with a sigh.

Sirius simply looked horrified by the idea and James did not look any happier.

"It's ok Sirius you don't have to go" she placated the boy. "And neither do you James" she added. "But you do Harry" She finished with a shake of her head.

"Why?" Harry asked with a frown as both Sirius and James were looking very relieved.

"Your Uncle Arcturus wants to meet you" Charlus answered. "He's promised it will be a small affair, so there is no need to worry" he assured the boy.

"Unless you have something against corporal punishment and complete disdain for anything fun" Sirius muttered.

"Sirius" Dorea warned. "It's not that bad".

"Tell that to my left arse cheek, I swear it has been numb since I was five and he hit me with that stinging hex" he grumbled. "I swear you can't be related to him Aunt Dorea" he finished disbelievingly.

"You haven't seen her angry yet" Charlus mumbled.

Dorea shot the man a glare.

"It will just be immediate family and we won't have to stay long" Dorea explained to Harry.

He sighed and dragged his hand through his hair but nodded.

"It's not like I have a choice is it" he stated. "Bellatrix said he'd want to meet me" he added with a frown.

"Well at least you will know one person there" Charlus pointed out.

"She's the one who cursed me in the back" Harry retuned.

"Ahh" Charlus deadpanned. "Well, I'm sure you'll be ok" he tried.

"So I take it you aren't coming" Harry stated questioningly.

"Someone has to keep an eye on these two" the man answered.

"It looks like I have another gift to add to my list" Harry sighed.

"Have you not done your shopping yet?" Dorea asked.

Harry shook his head.

"I didn't go to Hogsmeade, I had detention" he reminded her. "I'll go to Diagon Alley soon but you'll have to tell me what to get for him".

Dorea nodded.

"You can go unpack your things now" she allowed.

The boys gratefully left the conversation and headed up the stairs.

"That's some bad luck there" Sirius said sympathetically.

"It can't be that bad" Harry countered.

"It's worse" James disagreed. "Believe me you will never want to go back, once is enough" he explained seriously.

Harry just shook his head.

He had certainly dealt with worse in his life than dinner with family members, dinner with the Dursley's could not be any better than dinner with the Black's after all.

 _(BREAK)_

It was a few days after the revelation that Harry would be spending Boxing Day with the Blacks that found Harry in Diagon Alley to complete his Christmas shopping. He had already written a list of everything he needed to get so he was confident that he could get through errand without too much trouble.

He had already sent Lily one of the charms books he had liberated from the room of requirement that he had no further use of, an exceedingly rare tome that had been written in the 1700's, something he knew she would enjoy.

He planned on getting Peter an advanced potion kit that he knew the boy would benefit from if he truly wanted to be a potioneer when he finished school and Remus some books on runes that he had helpfully identified that he did not have yet. He would send the gifts to the boys later on in the evening before Peter would be leaving for Sweden.

He sighed as he exited the back of the Leaky Cauldron to find the Alley very busy, despite the snowy conditions. He shivered and cast a warming charm over himself to stave off the cold and began making his way down the alley towards his first destination; Quality Quidditch Supplies.

He entered the shop and immediately spotted what he'd come in for; a professional level beaters bat for Sirius and some new gloves for James

He managed to pay for the items and leave in a timely manner and avoid being hampered down in a large queue, much to his relief.

He then made his way to Flourish and Blott's to procure the books he had planned to get for Remus and again seemed to have very little trouble in entering and exiting the store within ten minutes; clearly books were not high on the agenda of the day for most people.

The apothecary turned out to be a little busier than he had anticipated but the only real issue had been the size of the shop. It was not equipped to handle such a high volume of customers that had somehow managed to squeeze inside. Nonetheless, he managed to obtain what he wanted without too much trouble.

With only two more stops to make he entered a small jewellery store and purchased a simple white gold band complete with a few emeralds embedded into the metal for Dorea. He planned on adding several protection charms to it so she would be much safer should she ever be attacked, something that he worried about, He was aware that she was a capable witch but he also knew how ruthless Voldemort's supporters were and how dangerous the times they lived in were.

He exited the store and immediately reapplied his warming charm and frowned as it had very little effect. He was certain that he had cast the spell correctly but cast it once more to make sure, but to no avail.

"Shit" he cursed in realisation as he began scanning the sky and the crowd that were clearly not aware of what was happening, though they had apparently noticed the sudden drop in temperature.

At the first sign of the Dementors the members of the public began panicking and running in the opposite direction of which the creatures were approaching from.

Within the crowd Harry spotted a young blonde girl who had seemingly froze in place simply staring at the approaching horde, too scared to even move.

He fought his way through the mob and managed to reach the girl as the first of the Dementors entered the alley. He pulled her to him tightly with one arm as he raised his wand with the other.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he roared.

Prongs erupted from his wand, as big and bright as ever and immediately charged towards the beasts, fighting them back and sending them screeching from where they had come from, but they were not done yet.

Another horde attempted to get past the stag as did another after they failed, but to no avail the blonde wrapped in Harry's arm shivering through the whole ordeal.

When he was sure they had left he ended the spell and cast a warming charm on the still trembling girl.

"Are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

The girl just nodded as she buried her head further into his chest.

"Are your parents with you?" he asked further.

The girl shook her head.

"My father was supposed to come with me but he didn't" she answered.

Harry shook his head.

It was certainly far too dangerous for a young girl to be out here unsupervised, as he just found out.

"Why did you come alone?" he questioned her. "You do know how dangerous it is right now don't you?".

The girl nodded once more.

"I came to get my sister's Christmas present" she explained, pointing to a small heap of broken glass on the ground in front of them. "Andi really likes unicorns and I saved all of my Hogsmeade money to get it for her" she added sadly.

Harry frowned at the name and gently extracted the girl from his torso only to be faced with a young Narcissa Black.

"You're Harry Potter" she exclaimed. "Bella told me that you have green eyes, that's how to tell you apart" she finished knowingly.

"I am" Harry confirmed with a smile, feeling very surprised by a polite Narcissa, who had always been cold and aloof in all of his experiences with her as a grown woman.

He knelt down and tapped the remains of the glass with his wand, turning it back into a very striking ornament of a unicorn.

"Here" he said, offering her the figure.

"It doesn't work anymore" Narcissa sighed sadly. "It's supposed to move".

"It's enchanted" Harry stated knowing that enchantments could not be fixed with a simple reparo charm.

Narcissa nodded.

"Where did you buy it?" he asked.

Narcissa pointed to a shop a short walk away and Harry took her by the hand and led her to it.

"Are they gone?" the shopkeeper inquired nervously as they entered.

"They are" Harry confirmed. "This young lady here dropped her unicorn in the commotion, is it possible to fix?" he questioned the man hopefully.

The man took the figurine and inspected it, frowning when he had finished.

"It can be done but I will have to redo all of the enchantments and I do not have anymore in stock" he explained.

Harry nodded.

"How long will it take?" he asked.

"An hour or two" the man shrugged. "And it will cost 40 Galleons.

"Ok do it and we will come back and collect it" Harry agreed and handed the man the required amount of gold. "How about we go and get some ice cream and some chocolate?" he offered the girl. "It will make you feel better".

Narcissa nodded and gave him a smile so the pair exited the shop and headed to Florean Fortescue's where they ordered a couple of hot fudge sundaes with extra chocolate.

"Excuse me young man?" a voice broke in while the two were enjoying their ice cream.

Harry turned to acknowledge the woman and tensed slightly when he noticed that she had a man carrying a camera with her.

"The gentlemen who works in the apothecary identified you as the person who chased away the Dementors" the woman continued.

"I have no idea what you are talking about" Harry replied immediately , seeing that Narcissa was going to answer on his behalf. "We have just arrived here so he must be mistaken" he added firmly.

"I see" the woman sighed. "I apologise for the intrusion".

The two left them alone once again and Harry continued to eat his ice cream.

"Why didn't you tell them it was you?" Narcissa asked disbelievingly.

"I don't want to be in the newspaper" Harry answered simply, remembering his most recent experiences with the press.

"Oh" Narcissa exclaimed and began spooning the sugary treat into her mouth once more.

The duo stain silence for a few moments before the young girl spoke again.

"I think you're really nice, even if the people in my house say mean things about you" she proclaimed.

"I bet they do" Harry responded amusedly.

"Bella says that those idiots got what they deserved for hurting your brother" Narcissa continued. "And I don't think you're mean".

"I'm only mean to people who deserve it" Harry explained. "I wouldn't ever hurt anyone without a reason".

Narcissa nodded.

"Thank you" she whispered shyly. "For saving me and getting Andi's present fixed" she added.

"Well we can't have your sister getting a broken present for Christmas can we?" Harry asked with a chuckle.

"No" Narcissa agreed. "But it was really nice of you, you didn't have to" she pointed out.

"It looks like I got a new friend out of it, so it was worth it" he replied with a smile.

Narcissa smiled.

"I'd like to be your friend" she declared happily.

"Then it looks like we both made a friend today Narcissa" Harry returned warmly.

The girl shook her head.

"Only my Father calls me that, everyone else calls me Cissy" she pointed out.

"Well everyone calls me Harry, or Potter if we aren't friends" Harry explained.

"So I can call you Harry then" Narcissa stated with a beaming smile.

Harry nodded.

"How about we go and see if your sisters present is done and then I will take you to the floo in the Leaky Cauldron so you can go home?" he suggested.

The girl took him by the hand and led the way.

"Ahh I have just finished" the shopkeeper explained as the duo entered the shop. "I even placed an unbreakable charm on it for you".

"Thank you" Harry responded gratefully. "I'll also take that painting" he added, spotting a beautifully created image of a griffin in flight.

"That will be 500 Galleons" the shopkeeper explained.

Harry removed a small bag of gold from his pocket and handed it to the man, shrinking and pocketing the picture before he led Narcissa to the Leaky Cauldron.

The painting was not originally what he was going to get Charlus, but he knew the man was fond of the creatures and thought he would prefer.

"Thank you for everything Harry" Narcissa said once again as they were stood next to the fireplace.

"That's what friends are for" Harry answered simply.

The girl wrapped her arms around him before throwing a handful of floo powder into the fire and disappearing.

Harry sighed and followed the girl's lead, appearing in Potter Manor a few moments later.

"You were gone a while" Dorea observed as he entered the kitchen.

"There was a Dementor attack, but it's ok, no one was hurt" he explained.

"Are you ok?" the woman asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, I've dealt with them before" he replied dismissively. "Anyway, I need to go and wrap the presents before Sirius decides to come in and search me" he added with an amused shake of his head as he headed upstairs.

Dorea simply watched the boy leave and shook her head sadly at his retreating back.

It did not surprise her in the slightest that he had encountered the creatures before, but it didn't make the confirmation any easier to take.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry was rudely awoken before sunrise on Christmas morning by an overzealous Sirius who was evidently very keen on starting the day as soon as possible, of course by opening presents.

After cursing the boy's name repeatedly, Harry finally pulled himself from the warmth of his bed, showered and joined the rest of the household in the very heavily decorated lounge are, where Sirius was visibly bouncing from the anticipation.

Harry shook his head at the teen who was acting like a toddler before taking a seat.

"Can we start now?" Sirius questioned impatiently.

Dorea simply nodded and without hesitation, he barreled into the pile that he had clearly already identified as his own and began tearing off layers of wrapping paper.

Everyone was pleased with what they had received.

Harry had been gifted several books on spells and curses from Charlus that he had never even heard of and would definitely be useful in a fight. Among various other books he had also gotten new quidditch things, a vast quantity of sweets and Lily had even sent him a silk scarf that matched their eye colour. Remus had sent him a book on Thestrals and Peter a selection of potions that he had made himself that would most certainly get some use.

It was during dinner that evening, after a day of flying and eating junk food, that the impending visit with the Blacks was raised by Dorea as she explained what would be expected from him.

"He will want to be addressed as Lord Black, it's very formal I know, but it's just best to be safe" she began.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"Do not insult anyone, just bite your tongue as much as you can and you'll be fine" she concluded warily.

"So basically, pucker up and kiss his arse and hope he doesn't kick yours" Sirius cut in.

Dorea shook her head.

"You know, it's not too late to drag you along too" Dorea mused aloud.

"I've suddenly come over all weak" the boy declared, clutching his stomach.

"So you won't be wanting this then" James exclaimed, stealing the bowl of ice cream in front of the boy.

"You'd better give it back" Sirius warned. "Don't even think about it" he added as James raised a full spoon of the dessert to his mouth.

Dorea summoned the bowl away from James and handed it back to Sirius giving them both a glare.

"I swear that you two are still the same eleven year olds from the day you met" she stated.

"5 year olds more like" Harry interjected.

"Says the one who tried to curse me because I wanted the last piece of treacle tart" Sirius returned.

"It was mine, you didn't even want it, same as McKinnon, maybe I will have a go after all" Harry threatened.

Sirius scowled and gritted his teeth.

"Who's this McKinnon?" Charlus piped up.

"The love of Sirius's life, but he won't admit it" James answered.

"What's wrong with her?" Charlus asked confusedly.

James shrugged.

"There must be though if she's interested in him" he added, gesturing to the other boy.

"Can't be that interested if she turned him down for a date" Harry muttered.

"She did not turn me down" Sirius whined. "She just said I have to stay away from other girls" he mumbled.

"And why is that a problem?" Dorea questioned with a frown.

"Don't ask, for Merlin's sake don't ask" James pleaded. "You will get a long and pointless explanation as to why he is every witches dream and it would be unfair if he was tied to one" he explained.

Charlus chuckled.

"We all think that way when we are sixteen" he deadpanned.

"Just because you've dedicated yourself to one girl who's not interested" Sirius pointed out, looking directly at James.

"She'll come around eventually" James replied confidently.

"And what about you Harry, any girls you're interested in?" Dorea asked.

"All he does is train, read and play qudditch" Sirius broke in. "You need to have some fun".

Harry just shook his head.

"I have more important things to focus on" he shrugged.

"It will happen when the time is right, you boy's are all still young" Dorea pointed out.

It wasn't until Harry was laid awake in bed later that night did he think about what Sirius had said.

True, he did only train, read and play quidditch, but he did not have the luxury of a normal life and he couldn't put himself in a situation where he would end up in a serious relationship, it simply would not be right, right now.

It was then that another thought, a more comical one struck him. Other than Lily, the only other girl he had spent time with was Bellatrix, a thought that certainly didn't do much to comfort him as he fell asleep.

 _(BREAK)_

He awoke as early as he ever did but decided to skip the majority of his physical exercises in favour of preparing himself mentally for the day ahead.

He took his morning run while working through his occlumency exercises, both reinforcing and strengthening his shields and finished up with some weight training. The spell work was always the most demanding part so he cut this part out of his routine, promising himself that he would make up for it the next day.

He spent the rest of his morning showering, dressing himself in a set of formal robes and reading through some of the books that Charlus had given him, finding himself very impressed by the spells and keen to begin trying them out.

It was at midday that Dorea called him into the lounge area to give him the once over before they were to head out. She gave him a simple nod of approval and led him through the front door of the manor.

"We can't go through the floo because you aren't registered in the wards, so we will have to apparate" she explained. "Do you know where Grimmauld Place is?" she asked.

Harry nodded and swallowed deeply remembering that the last time he was there was with Sirius the Christmas before he had been killed.

"Ok then, take my arm" She instructed, offering the teen the limb. "It will be ok, I promise" she added before disapparating them away.

The arrived in the familiar square that was situated in the centre of Grimmauld Place and Harry could already see the house marked number 12, clearly it was not under the Fidelius Charm at the moment.

As they approached the house Dorea pulled Harry back, drew her wand and began muttering several spells in various languages.

"You can only be taken through the wards by a willing member of the Black family" she explained. "Unless my brother adds you to the scheme permanently then it must be done this way every time" she added warningly.

Harry just nodded and allowed the woman to lead him through the front door and into the hallway.

It looked exactly as Harry remembered down to the heads of former family elves mounted on the wall and even the troll leg umbrella stand, though it was not dilapidated at this time.

Dorea paused as they reached the kitchen door and gave his hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement and a warm and slightly apologetic smile before she entered the room with Harry in tow.

Again, the room looked exactly as Harry remembered it but it was certainly much better kept than when Sirius had lived here.

The moment the duo were in the kitchen Dorea was approached by a man around her own age who Harry immediately identified as Lord Black.

The man had a very strong presence about him and gave the teen the impression that he should not be crossed. He carried himself proudly and stood about the same height as Harry himself and the most noticeable feature about him was his steely grey eyes which were calculative and very sharp.

"Dorea" he greeted her with a warm smile and a hug. "I'm glad you could make it" he said sincerely.

Dorea returned the hug and looked at her brother speculatively.

"I had very little choice if I remember correctly" she returned gently with a soft chuckle.

Lord Black just rose an eyebrow at her and shook his head amusedly.

"No James or Charlus?" he inquired.

"Sirius is still with us and James insisted on staying with him" Dorea sighed. "And as you know they are rather mischievous so Charlus is keeping an eye on them both" she explained.

"The little bastard isn't welcome here anyway" a scathing voice cut in.

Harry recognised the woman he had only ever seen in portrait form; Walburga Black.

Even alive she was not any less impolite evidently.

"Shut up Walburga" Lord Black hissed angrily. "He would be a guest in this house just as you are, remember you only live here because I allow it" he reminded her.

Walburga scowled at him.

"There will never be room for him at a table where I am sat" she mumbled stubbornly. "I cast the bastard out already" she added smugly.

"And as I have told you time and time again, you do not have the authority to do so, the boy will be the head of this family and there is nothing you can do to change that" Lord Black replied coldly.

"Then I hope he gets himself killed" the woman stated with a fake smile. "It will be a sad day for this family if he is ever in charge" she declared disgustedly.

"I would remind you that you are merely married in to the family, you shared none of our blood, you have been blessed to receive our name, now I will only tell you once more to shut up" Lord Black growled furiously.

Walburga opened her mouth to speak once more when a man sat next to her placed a hand on her forearm and she thought better of it.

"Hello Harry" Lord Black greeted the teen after shooting the unpleasant woman a final glare.

"Lord Black" Harry responded formally, offering the man a bow. "Thank you for inviting me today, it is an honour" he intoned with practiced ease.

"Nonsense boy, and you can just call me Uncle, it is those beneath us that will address me correctly" he explained with a firm nod.

"So this is your other son?" Walburga broke in, addressing Dorea with a distasteful look on her face.

"It is" Dorea confirmed. "This is Walburga, Sirius's mother and wife of my nephew Orion" she introduced to Harry with forced enthusiasm.

Walburga sneered and turned her head away, clearly not interested in greeting the teen.

"I've heard all about you" she grumbled, not even acknowledging Harry.

Harry chuckled.

"I imagine you have" he replied with a shrug. "But you shouldn't listen to other peoples opinions on me and I won't judge you from what I've heard" he concluded with fake kindness.

"Harry" Dorea whispered warningly.

Arcturus snickered but schooled hos features quickly.

Orion stood and offered Harry his hand which the teen took and gave a shake.

"I apologise for my wife's behavior, social etiquette is not her strong point" he sighed.

"Apology accepted Mr. Black" Harry replied cordially.

He got the impression that Orion was very much used to having to apologise for the woman and had no reason to add to his already clearly stressful life.

"This is my son Regulus" Orion continued, gesturing to the boy Harry recognised from the quiditch match.

Regulus stood and offered Harry a slightly shaking hand, obviously more than a little nervous by the other teen's presence.

"Hello" he said quietly.

"It's nice to meet you Regulus" Harry returned.

Regulus nodded stiffly before taking a seat.

"This is Melania, the lady Black" Dorea cut in. "Wife of my brother" she finished with fondness in her voice.

The lady was petite with very delicate features and was beautiful. Her smile was welcoming as she bowed her head in greeting.

"It is my pleasure lady Black" Harry intoned, taking the woman's hand and giving it a gentle kiss.

"My you are a handsome one aren't you" Melania observed. "And a gentleman too".

"And this" Dorea added. "Is my younger sister Cassiopeia" she explained, indicating the final person sat at the table.

The woman stood and took Harry's hand gently before pulling him into a hug.

"It's just Cassie" she said with a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you Harry".

"You too" Harry replied with a smile.

"Is Pollux not coming?" Dorea asked Arcturus.

"He should be, but the boy is always late" the man answered irritably. "Come Harry, take a seat here" he offered, pulling the seat out on his right from the head of the table.

Harry took the seat and was joined by Dorea who gave her brother another calculating stare before she sat next to the teen.

Before Arcturus could speak again, Walburga beat him to it much too the mans obvious annoyance.

"Why have we only just become aware of the boy?" She questioned Dorea demandingly, taking a sip of her tea and waiting for an answer when she was done.

"Family secret" Dorea answered sweetly.

"Are we not your family?" Walburga returned.

"Potter family secret" Dorea answered.

"For Merlin sake Walburga I have already explained this to you" Arcturus broke in irritably.

"I do not like being kept in the dark" the woman grumbled.

"Well none of the family knew about him besides myself" Arcturus said firmly. "And it is not your business to question family things".

Walburga huffed indignantly but spoke no more. She simply stared at Harry through narrowed eyes.

It was then that the kitchen door opened, admitting a lithely built man who looked very much like Arcturus though younger and sporting a pointed goatee beard.

Behind him came four females, two of which Harry recognised as Bellatrix and Narcissa Black. He deduced that the other younger female was Andromeda, who looked very much like the middle sister but her hair was a shade or two lighter.

Narcissa's eyes lit up the moment she saw Harry even though it appeared she had recently been crying.

"Hello Harry" she greeted him excitedly.

"Hello Cissy" Harry returned, still finding it very strange that the young girl who was smiling so brightly could ever turn into the cold woman he knew her to be.

"And how is it that you are on such amicable and familiar terms with my daughter?" the man questioned Harry with a sneer.

Before Harry could respond it was Narcissa that explained.

"It was Harry that rescued me from the Dementors with his big reindeer thing" she answered happily. "And then he even got Andi's present fixed and bought me ice cream to make me feel better" she added.

The man just grunted.

"Then it seems that you are in young Mr. Potter's debt Pollux" Arcturus broke in, giving Harry an appreciative nod.

Pollux just frowned.

"Why is it that your wife and daughters look upset" the older man asked his son.

"It seems as though they are not so supportive of my latest business transaction" Pollux shrugged.

"And what business transaction would that be?" Arcturus inquired, noting the very distraught demeanour of his daughter-in-law and granddaughters.

"I set them up in marriage contracts with prominent families for the betterment of our own?" Pollux answered dismissively.

The reactions at the table were a mixture of shock and horrified at the revelation.

"You did what?" Arcturus asked dangerously.

"I set them up with marriage contracts" Pollux reiterated.

"Oh, so I did hear you correctly" Arcturus stated casually. "So you have taken the freedom I gave to you and your siblings and pissed it away have you?" he ground out.

"Father, these families are amongst the most affluent in our community" the younger man tried.

"What is your last name?" Arcturus questioned simply.

"Black" Pollux answered confusedly.

Arcturus nodded.

"There are no families better than ours you imbecile" he roared, slamming his hand on the table.

"They are my daughters, I will decide what will be done with them" Pollux hissed.

"As the head of this family it is my choice" Arcturus bit back furiously. "And what families have you decided to align yourself with?".

"Actually it is no longer your choice" Pollux responded coldly. "I have taken steps to ensure that you must sign it" he added with a smug grin. "The girls will be married into the Yaxley, the Lestrange and the Malfoy families" he finished gleefully.

"And what steps have you taken?" Arcturus asked through gritted teeth.

"The contract must be signed today or the contents of the family vault will be transferred equally into theirs" Pollux explained.

"And how did you manage that?" Arcturus returned neutrally.

"You have granted us all with complete access to the vault" Pollux pointed out. "I can move as much money around as I like" he explained further.

"Give it to me" the older man ground out.

Pollux removed three separate sheets of parchment and handed them to his father who read them and shook his head.

"You fucking moron" he spat. "You've essentially handed over the damn key to our vault and where in the contract is the stipulation that the contents of our vault will be forfeit if I refuse to sign?" he finished furiously.

"I signed a different contract for that" Pollux explained.

Arcturus gestured for him to hand it over which he did reluctantly.

"Half a million Galleons for your three daughters" he stated disbelievingly. "A stipend of 10,000 Galleons to be paid weekly to each family, please don't tell me you were stupid enough to sign this for pocket change only" the older man pleaded. "And why am I only aware of this now, this is dated from September?" he pointed out angrily.

"I was instructed not to inform you of the arrangement because you would refuse" Pollux replied. "And no, I did not only get the money, I am promised an introduction to someone who is at the forefront of the new pureblood movement" he added contentedly. "I am sure he will be along with the others shortly".

"What is the buy out? There's always a buy out option" Arcturus returned knowingly.

"1.5 million Galleons and a duel with a champion of their choice" Pollux informed him.

"So that is why you held off telling me until today when it has to be signed" Arcturus growled. "I can't even get to the bank, it's fucking Boxing Day and even the Goblins don't open today" he continued angrily.

"It wouldn't matter" Pollux shrugged. "You wouldn't be allowed to duel their champion anyway, no one with the name Black or anyone married to a Black could do it" he explained, clearly proud of himself.

"That was obviously done to stop Charlus from fighting on our behalf" Dorea deduced.

Pollux nodded and smirked again.

"I despair" Arcturus stated. "How did we raise such a selfish little prick?" he asked his wife who was visibly upset.

"I did this for our family" Pollux hissed.

"No, you did this for you and your fucking greed, my hands are tied on this because of your ambition to be a bigger man than you deserve to be" Arcturus returned angrily. "How long until they get here?" he added, defeated by his son's underhanded dealings.

"In 10 minutes" Pollux answered with a victorious grin.

"Then that gives me plenty of time to kill you, you stupid bastard" Arcturus seethed as he grabbed the man by his hair and drew his wand.

Pollux instantly paled and began trembling but was saved by his mother.

"Arcturus please, he's our son" Melania pleaded. "Please we will make it work somehow, I know you'll be able to fix it" she added confidently.

Arcturus shook his head.

"This prick has just given away my granddaughters for nothing" he spat dangerously. "I could have found a way had he come here yesterday but he did this on purpose, now there is no way out of it" he sighed as he released the man, clearly experiencing many emotions at once.

He took his seat once more and shook uncontrollably.

It seemed that no one in the room had any idea what to say to this and Pollux left the room a few minutes later to meet his guests.

As promised, he returned a few moments later with four men in tow, one clearly being a Malfoy, another a LeStrange but it was the fourth who entered that immediately had Harry on edge and reinforcing his occlumency shields as best he could as he swallowed deeply and tensed, ready to release his wand at a seconds notice.

The man in question was much older than Harry had seen him previously in this form, but there was no doubt in his mind that this was the same sixteen year old boy he had met in the chamber of secrets only now a fully grown Tom Riddle.

It was LeStrange who spoke first after he became aware of Harry's presence in the room.

"You, you filthy little bastard" he spat.

Everyone gathered around the table looked at the man with complete disdain. Arcturus simply looked murderous but luckily for LeStrange one of his own associates intervened and attempted to calm the man before he caused too much of a provocation.

"Randolph, control yourself" Malfoy whispered harshly.

"That little shit cursed my son" LeStrange hissed angrily.

"And I am sure the young man is apologetic for his part in the unpleasantness" Riddle interjected attempting to mediate the situation.

"Actually, I think you'll find I've cursed both of the morons" Harry replied casually. "And no, I'm not sorry" he added firmly.

"Well that is indeed most unfortunate, we should not be fighting amongst ourselves after all" Riddle sighed and shook his head disappointedly. "However, I believe that what we have to discuss today is much more important than a fallout between children, so Randolph, do remain quiet" he requested.

LeStrange ground his teeth and nodded reluctantly, though he continued to glare at Harry.

"Lord Black" Riddle greeted the man with a formal bow. "May I say that it is an honour to be in your presence" he declared charismatically. "I do apologise for intruding on this joyous occasion, but it is the only way I could garner an audience with a man of your station and prestige" he finished with another elaborate bow.

Arcturus simply frowned at him before he spoke.

"There is nothing joyous about this" he growled. "What is it you want? Make it quick" he demanded.

"I will get straight to the point" Riddle conceded. "I represent a group who wishes to prevent certain changes from taking place in our community" he began simply. "As you know the muggleborns and half-bloods are slowly but surely destroying all of the traditions that we have built over many centuries and it has become a very big problem indeed, I fear that our ways will be completely lost in a very short amount of time" he concluded gravely.

Arcturus nodded his agreement and gestured for him to continue.

"The time has come for us to no longer sit by and allow them and the blood traitors to be so liberal and continue to devalue the blood that flows through our veins, it is time to take our rightful place back at the top of our world" he declared firmly.

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Arcturus asked.

"The process has already begun" Riddle answered with a grin. "I have the support of many pureblood families, those who have seats on the Wizengamot and we will soon have enough power to challenge the proposed changes that have thus far been granted on many occasions" he explained.

"That sounds rather promising" Arcturus acknowledged. "But I see many flaws" he stated. "Firstly, you will never get a majority vote unless you have over half of the Wizengamot backing you and that will never happen" he deduced confidently. "There are 220 pureblood families that have seats and only around 50 would agree with what you are saying, 120 of them will be completely opposed to you because they sympathise with them and the other 50 will be neutral and more likely to side with the sympathisers" he explained knowingly.

Riddle nodded thoughtfully.

"But then isn't it our job to show them why we are needed to ensure our perseverance and prosperity?" he asked. "The world we live in is no longer our own, we need to fight for our traditions" he finished passionately.

Arcturus nodded once more and gave the man a speculative stare.

"And what about when we have taken that control, surely you have plans beyond that" he stated questioningly.

"Very astute Lord Black" Riddle acknowledged with another bow. "I refer back to my earlier statement regarding us sitting atop our world" he reminded the man.

Arcturus frowned.

"You mean branching out into the muggle world" he concluded thoughtfully.

"Indeed" Riddle agreed. "Our kind has spent far too long hiding in the shadows, it is us that stand far more superior than those, why is it that we should hide like scared rabbits?" he questioned.

Harry scoffed and shook his head causing Riddle to frown at him.

"I believe my nephew has something to say on the matter" Arcturus sighed amusedly.

"I apologise Uncle and mean no offense, but might I assume that you a rather ignorant of the muggle world?" Harry asked.

"I am" Arcturus conceded.

"I thought so" Harry intoned. "But that is not what is bothering mostly" he added with another shake of his head.

"Then I am interested on what you have to say on the matter" Arcturus returned with a smile.

"And the opinion of a child matters?" Pollux cut in angrily.

"Age means nothing over experience and I believe my nephew has something important to say or he would not interfere in such a manor" Arcturus stated firmly. "His opinion means much more to me than yours right now Pollux" he added coldly. "Go ahead Harry" he instructed the teen, shooting a final glare at his son.

Harry nodded and sighed internally. He knew that Arcturus was slowly but surely buying into the charismatic demeanour of Riddle and he knew he had to prevent that happening. He knew what he said now could certainly have a significant impact on how things would be from here on. The day had gone badly so far, he needed this to go right so he would choose his words carefully while making sure he exposed Riddle for what he truly was.

"If I may, I have a few things I observed earlier that aren't quite clear Mr.?" he questioned Riddle, keen to see what alias he would use.

"Gaunt" Riddle answered simply.

' _How very original'_ Harry mused inwardly.

"Gaunt is it?" Arcturus inquired. "I thought the family had died out" he added with a frown.

"I am unfortunately the last of my line" Riddle sighed, flashing a family ring to prove his identity.

' _Clever'_ Harry conceded reluctantly. _'Should have at least disguised yourself though, very arrogant as usual'_ he observed.

"Indeed" Arcturus intoned with a slight bow of his head.

"Well Mr. Gaunt, I think we established earlier that politically you have no chance of achieving your goals" Harry began again. "How is it you plan on being successful if you cannot do it through legitimate authority?" he questioned, pleased to see a flash of irritation cross the man's face.

"That is a good question" Arcturus acknowledged agreeably.

"Myself and my associates are very determined to reach our goals" Riddle answered cryptically.

"And that would include the use of violence I assume" Harry returned with a raised eyebrow.

"If necessary" Riddle confirmed reluctantly.

There were more than a few looks of surprises by those gathered.

"Which brings me to my next point" Harry continued. "Again it has been pointed out that not all of the pureblood families will agree with you and many will oppose you heavily, what happens if they choose to side with those you want to subjugate?" he inquired further. "You are after all, trying to preserve our traditions and, I assume in turn, our lines".

"I am indeed" Riddle agreed. "But those who side with them have no place amongst us" he stated casually.

Harry nodded and frowned.

"So you will happily see those you are attempting to preserve killed if necessary to reach your goals?" he questioned further.

"I sincerely hope that it does not come to that but yes, if it becomes a necessity" Riddle sighed in forced sadness.

"So what you are doing is not about blood at all, it is simply a bid for power for yourself and your associates" Harry pointed out.

"I believe you are misinterpreting what it is I have said young man" Riddle returned patronisingly, though Harry could see he was getting annoyed.

"Actually, what my nephew is saying makes perfect sense" Arcturus interjected with a frown.

"Ok" Harry spoke up once more. "Let us assume that I have completely misunderstood you" he offered. "But surely even you can see that the idea of attempting such a coup is foolish and completely counterproductive in preserving our respect lineages".

"How so?" Arcturus asked before Riddle could speak.

"Well as you pointed out there are 220 pureblood families" Harry began again.

Arcturus nodded.

"Well, if we are very generous and say Mr. Gaunt manages to secure the support of 100 of those, what do you think will happen between the now two factions?" he asked.

Arcturus's eyebrows rose significantly in realisation.

"War I imagine" he deduced.

"You mean like we are already seeing, Mr. Gaunt himself confirmed that he has already began work on his plans" Harry reminded him.

Arcturus frowned.

"What is your point Harry?" he questioned curiously.

"My point is that even if it is about maintaining the pureblood doctrine and traditions that the majority of purebloods will be killed in the pursuit of it, thus making it counterproductive and on top of all that there is the muggleborns and half-bloods to consider also" he pointed out.

"The mudbloods are of no consequence" LeStrange growled. "We are purebloods, we are better than them" he surmised sternly.

Harry sighed.

"Even I didn't think you could be so ignorant" he muttered. "Albus Dumbledore is a half blood and I daresay one of the most powerful wizards to be seen in many generations" Harry stated, purposely using the man as an example.

"He is a muggle loving fool" LeStrange spat.

"And yet he could destroy you in a heartbeat if he chose to" Harry shrugged. "And regardless of if you believe purebloods are more powerful, the numbers would not be in your favour" he concluded confidently.

"Numbers mean nothing when you are faced with superior men" Malfoy cut in.

Harry shook his head.

"That is true in some cases" he conceded. "But Britain's magical population stand at around 100,000 if I am correct" he stated questioningly.

"It is" Arcturus confirmed.

"Well, there a re 220 pureblood families and if we say there are 20 people per family on average that gives us around 4400 people being outnumbered by about 96,000" he explained. "That is almost 20/1 odds, not exactly favourable is it, but then again it is much more than that" he finished knowingly.

Arcturus looked a little overwhelmed and gestured for him to continue.

"Well as we already know, not even half the purebloods will support you" he reminded Riddle. "So the odds are less in you favour, I imagine you will have a maximum of 1000 supporters" he concluded. "Even if your belief that purebloods are superior rings true then those odds are completely insurmountable to overcome" Harry concluded thoughtfully. "But I guess a man of your intelligence has already reached that conclusion" he assumed.

Riddle stared at the teen through narrowed eyes but nodded nonetheless.

"I have indeed" he confirmed warily. "I have support from outside of Britain and we are not looking to fight in open warfare" he added cryptically.

"Ahh, so you mean you will stage strategic attacks and eliminate prominent figures from the shadows, I believe that is something the muggles call terrorism, very frowned upon, even by wizards that would be deemed disgraceful" Harry surmised.

"If it becomes necessary then that is what we shall do" Riddle stated dismissively.

Harry nodded, pleased he had the man exactly where he wanted him.

"And that brings us to your overall goal of standing atop of our world" Harry continued. "If by some miracle you manage to exert your will here, how do you plan on taking over the muggle world also?" he asked, genuinely curious to know what approach he would take.

"Muggles are foolish, we are far more than they will ever be, we have wands" LeStrange broke in passionately, waving his wand dramatically to prove his point.

"Put your wand away you moron" Arcturus hissed. "The wards will obliterate anyone it deems acting threateningly" he explained.

LeStrange paled and swallowed deeply before placing his wand gingerly back in his pocket.

"Your ignorance really is astounding" Harry sighed. "Yes, we have wands but they have weapons much more destructive than ours and they number in the millions, that is why we have the statute of secrecy, it is there to protect us, attempting a takeover will be the end of us" he concluded gravely.

"Bullshit" LeStrange broke in once more. "Their gans, or whatever they are no match for us" he declared vehemently.

"They are called guns and they would be the least of your worries, though I imagine even they would be sufficient to destroy us" he mused aloud.

"What are you talking about?" Arcturus growled irritably.

Harry sighed once more.

"Imagine having 300 killing curses fired at you every minute, that is basically what a gun does" Harry explained.

"Ha, that is where you are wrong" LeStrange returned triumphantly. "It takes a long time to fire it and put the stupid powder back in to fire again".

Harry shook his head and chuckled darkly.

"I believe your knowledge is very outdated" he replied. "The guns you refer to haven't been used in decades, what they have now is far more superior and as I already said, they would be the least of your worries" he finished seriously.

"What do you mean?" Orion chipped in.

Harry thought for a moment, trying to come up with the simplest way to explain, when he had it he nodded contentedly.

"Uncle, if you were to fire a blasting curse in this room, how much damage would you do?" he asked.

Arcturus frowned and scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"I imagine at full power I could destroy the entire room and some of the next" he answered proudly.

Harry nodded, not at all disagreeing with the man's capabilities.

"Well, imagine a blasting curse that could wipe out the entirety of our shopping district in London" he implored.

"Impossible" LeStrange huffed.

"Now imagine a blasting curse the could level the entirety of London" Harry continued, ignoring LeStrange completely.

"They can do that?" Arcturus asked worriedly.

"They can and no matter how powerful you are no shield would protect you from it" Harry answered sincerely.

The room were shocked into silence whether or not the teen was believed, the thought of such a thing was not pleasant.

"So as you can see, not only would most of us be killed in pursuit of this, we would all be killed if we attempted a muggle takeover" he concluded.

Again the room was silent while the occupants were lost in thought, though Riddle simply glared at Harry.

"You are a very intelligent young man, I could use someone of such calibre for our cause, you have certainly given me much to consider" he conceded, knowing he had been beaten this time. "But our plans will go ahead, once I have of course given much thought to what we have discussed" he added, giving Harry a speculative stare as he bowed reluctantly in his direction.

"Indeed, it has been a rather enlightening afternoon" Malfoy muttered, also glaring at Harry.

"I do hope I can gain an audience with you once again Lord Black, once things have moved in a much more decisive direction" Riddle requested.

Arcturus simply nodded dismissively.

Riddle once more turned to Harry and gave him a calculative stare.

"I hope you yourself consider joining our cause young man, I assure you that you would indeed be very welcome and a valued member" he said promisingly with a bow.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the man.

"It is doubtful Mr. Gaunt, I am rather fond of living" he returned firmly.

Riddle glared at him once more.

"You know my family has a rather insightful saying that I believe you would do well to listen to" he intoned thoughtfully.

"What saying would that be?" Harry inquired curiously.

" _If you pull on the tail of a snake, you should be prepared to face it's bared fangs"_ Riddle hissed in parseltongue.

Harry smirked amusedly and again reinforced his occlumency shields as he felt a probe of passive legilimency.

When Riddle felt the powerful mind shield he immediately withdrew from his attempt, his eyes widening very slightly in surprise at the occlumency skill on display.

" _I am not pulling on the tail, I always go for the head"_ Harry hissed back, clearly surprising everyone in the room besides Dorea. _"It is not wise to make threats in the house of Black Mr. Gaunt, as I am sure you know, the wards are most unforgiving"_ he added warningly.

Riddle could not stop the look of shock that appeared on his face, but managed to school his expression quickly.

" _How is it you came across such an ability?"_ he hissed.

" _The Blacks were once known for it, it seems that I am the first of our blood in centuries to be gifted with it"_ Harry explained, of course not wanting to share Dumbledore's theory of how he became a parselmouth.

Riddle nodded and smirked.

" _I do implore you to reconsider your position Mr. Potter, I assure you that you would have a place at my side, we could achieve many great things together"_ he offered once more.

Harry shook his head.

" _I think not Mr. Gaunt, though I am flattered and can respect your ambition, it is however, not for me"_ he declined diplomatically.

" _Then perhaps you will change your mind once you have witnessed how successful we will be, I will leave my offer open to you, if you of course do not oppose me"_ he Riddle returned warningly.

Harry nodded stiffly but said nothing else. Conversing with the man in such a way made him feel very unclean.

Riddle returned the nod and headed for the door.

"I again thank you for your hospitality Lord Black" he stated with a bow. "Gentlemen, please join me in our usual place once you have concluded your business" he instructed firmly.

The three men that had accompanied bowed their compliance and a very thoughtful and angry Tom Riddle exited the house.

He had thought that convincing Arcturus Black would have been very easy but he had not been prepared for the teen in attendance, a foolish mistake on his part but a problem he could not have foreseen.

' _I should have prepared for every possibility'_ he scolded himself before apparating away from Grimmauld Place.

 _(BREAK)_

"Shall we get down to business then?" Malfoy questioned the still shocked room.

Arcturus growled angrily.

"And what if I refuse, or have the wards simply kill you?" he returned threateningly.

"Then the life of your granddaughters and son would be forfeit" Malfoy returned smugly. "It is all in the contract that your son has already signed" he pointed out.

Arcturus shot a scathing look at his son who looked a little pale and fearful under the scrutiny he was facing.

"I regret the day that you were born into this world you little shit, I gave you everything and this is how you repay myself and your mother?" he asked rhetorically. "As of today your are not my son, you are a disgrace to this family" he spat.

Pollux shrugged.

"I have done what is best for us" he growled, pointing to himself and his children. "This family has become a joke under your leadership and I am tired of living in your shadow, I can make my own way and I will" he vowed. "Mr. Gaunt will be successful and I will be right up there with him" he declared proudly.

Arcturus simply shook his head at his son and turned to his granddaughters.

"I wish there was something I could do" he said sincerely. "This house will always be open to all of you should you need it and I am sorry it came to this, my wish was for you all to marry a man of your choice and your father has taken that from you, my hands are tied" he finished in defeat.

Harry sighed inwardly at the thoughts he himself was having.

" _This is it"_ he mused. _"This is what made Bellatrix and Narcissa what they are"_ he sighed sadly at the thought of the young blonde becoming what she undoubtedly would.

"I hope you bastards suffer for this" Arcturus ground out to the three men who would now take control of his granddaughters.

"Just sign the contract Black" LeStrange demanded.

Arcturus swallowed deeply and picked up the blood quill that had been procured for the signing.

"Wait" Harry interrupted the proceedings, already chiding himself for what he was going to do, but he knew it was the right thing, he knew he had no choice in the matter unless he wanted things to be considerably worse.

"This is not your concern boy" LeStrange spat angrily.

"The buy out clause, what was it again?" Harry inquired.

"1.5 million Galleons and a duel with a champion of their choice" Arcturus sighed.

"But it is too late for that, we took the steps to ensure that it would not be a possibility" Malfoy added.

It was Harry's turn to sigh.

"And no one of the name Black, or anyone married into the family can duel?" he inquired.

"Exactly" Malfoy confirmed gleefully.

Harry shook his head in disbelief at his own conclusion.

He removed his shrunken trunk from his pocket, resized it and placed it on the table removing several large bags once he had done so.

"1.5 million Galleons" he explained, gesturing to the vast amount of gold. "I'll fight" he finished seriously.

The three men looked nothing short of furious at this unexpected obstacle.

"You are just a boy" Malfoy hissed angrily.

"I have the gold and I said I will do it, you can't change the contract now" Harry returned firmly.

Arcturus looked at the boy in complete shock but was clearly proud of him.

"Harry" Dorea cut in weakly. "This isn't a duel that you would have at school" she explained unnecessarily.

"I know" Harry replied simply. "So take your money and piss off" he commanded the three men.

"You stupid boy, you should never have gotten yourself involved in this" Malfoy spat angrily.

Harry just shrugged.

"I have a few terms for the duel" he stated.

"As is your right" Malfoy conceded reluctantly.

"There will be no spectators, it will be only myself and your champion present" he began.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes but nodded his agreement.

"We will both have only our wands, nothing else" Harry continued.

"Of course" Malfoy agreed.

"And I want two weeks minimum to prepare, along with the name of your champion" Harry concluded.

Malfoy nodded his agreement, though he was clearly not happy by how things were turning out.

"Done" he growled through gritted teeth.

LeStrange chuckled darkly.

"It's your funeral Potter, you are only delaying the inevitable" he said confidently.

Harry just shook his head at the man.

"Come gentlemen" Malfoy implored. "We have other things to attend to, Lord Black, until next time" he bade farewell.

"The name of your man" Harry stated questioningly as they reached the door.

Malfoy smirked smugly.

"Antonin Dolohov" he answered simply eliciting a gasp from the gathered Black family members before the trio exited the house.

"Harry what have you done?" Dorea choked.

Before Harry could answer he was confronted by an apoplectic Pollux.

"You stupid bastard" he screamed as he prodded the teen firmly in the chest. "You have just ruined all of the hard work I have put in".

Harry ploughed his fist into the man's sternum, grabbed him by the throat and pushed him firmly against the wall.

"No you prick, I just saved your daughters lives" he whispered dangerously. "I promise you now, if you try and do something so fucking idiotic again your father will be the least of your worries, understand?" he asked dangerously.

Pollux simply trembled under the young man's glare from his glowing green eyes and whimpered slightly.

Harry gave him a final look of disgust before allowing the man to slide to the floor in a heap.

Arcturus gave him a nod of approval before sighing.

"Dolohov is a world champion duelist" he informed the teen.

"I know" Harry returned.

Arcturus nodded and then shook his head despairingly.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" he asked worriedly.

Harry nodded. It would certainly be a real test of his abilities but if the prophecy was true then Dolohov could not kill him and he would have to if he wanted to win.

Arcturus sighed once more.

"You really are full of surprises" he stated. "A parselmouth?" he questioned.

"I am" Harry confirmed.

"And what is it that Gaunt said to you?" the older man inquired.

Harry dragged his hand through his hair.

"Gaunt is not his name, did none of you recognise him?" he asked.

When no one spoke he sighed before explaining.

"His name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, there's a picture of him in the trophy room at Hogwarts, he got an award for special services to the school" he informed them.

"I don't understand" Arcturus responded confusedly.

"That is why I had to do what I did, your granddaughters would have been in his service whether or not they wanted to be if they were to marry into those families" Harry replied.

"What does Riddle have to do with it?" Cassie broke in, clearly just as confused as everyone in the room seemed to be.

Harry drew his wand and wrote the name Tom Marvolo Riddle in the air in flaming orange letters before flicking his wand and rearranging the way Riddle had in the chamber of secrets.

Everybody in the room gasped loudly at the revelation.

"That was him?" Arcturus questioned frantically.

"It was" Harry confirmed. "He himself is a half blood".

"Bastard" Arcturus whispered. "And you bought him into our house" he roared at Pollux who was still on the floor trying to steady his breathing.

"I didn't know" the man wheezed breathlessly.

Arcturus shook his head at his son.

"Mr. Potter" Pollux's wife broke in nervously. "What are you going to do with those contracts, you do technically own them after all" she explained.

Harry approached the table where the contracts were laid and picked the three unsigned ones up and glanced over them, feeling a sense of nausea overcome him as he did so.

He turned to face the three sisters in which the documents pertained to and saw the apprehensive looks on their faces.

He flicked his wand at the stack of parchment he held and it burst into flames, disintegrating into nothing but a fine ash.

"You should all get the chance to marry whomever you like" he stated flatly. "No one should decide that for you".

Narcissa flung herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Why would you fight for us?" she whispered. "It's not like you are getting anything out of it".

"Because that's what friends do for each other" Harry answered simply.

"You will of course get your money back" Arcturus promised.

Harry just nodded.

"Thank you Mr. Potter" Druella stated sincerely. "My girls mean the world to me" she added. "But would you mind destroying the other contract also, it would put my mind at ease" she requested.

Harry approached the table once more and picked up the final piece of parchment, frowning as he did so.

"What the hell is this?" he mumbled, feeling a lot of magic coming from the document.

"What do you mean?" Arcturus inquired.

"Can you not feel it?" Harry asked, handing the man the sheet.

Arcturus frowned and shook his head.

"It feels very heavy and wrong" Harry mused aloud.

"May I?" Cassie asked. "I'm an enchantress, so I can identify the different types of magic on it" she explained.

Arcturus handed it to her and Harry noticed that Pollux was now looking very nervous indeed.

Cassie withdrew her wand and began casting detection spells over the parchment, frowning when she had finished.

"Oh Pollux you didn't" Cassie whispered, clearly horrified by her findings.

"What is it?" Arcturus demanded impatiently.

Cassie swallowed deeply.

"He imbued blood magic into the contract and placed some awful charms on it" She informed them.

"What charms?" Arcturus growled, shooting his son a death glare.

"Ones that would make the girls more receptive to their would be spouses advances and more compliant to their will" Cassie explained disgustedly.

Harry frowned and then his eyebrows shot up in realisation as he looked towards a confused looking Bellatrix.

"So if for example, the boy who Bellatrix was supposed to marry put her under the Imperius curse" he inquired thoughtfully.

"Then she would not be able to defend herself against it, not a damn chance" Cassie concluded firmly, completely saddened by the thought.

"Bastard" Harry hissed.

He was seething inside and wanted nothing more than to kill Rudolphus for what he had done.

"And I bet he knew it" he whispered.

"Knew what?" Cassie asked confusedly.

"You don't remember attacking me do you?" he questioned Bellatrix.

"I don't remember anything after leaving my common room" Bellatrix retorted heatedly.

It was then that she realised what had happened.

"He didn't" she growled angrily.

"I think he did" Harry replied certainly. "This was signed in September" he explained, picking up and gesturing to the parchment.

"I told you I didn't remember anything" Bellatrix pointed out irritably.

"Yeah, well I didn't expect this" Harry returned waving the contract in front of him furiously.

Bellatrix just folded her arms and scowled at him.

"Forget it" Harry sighed as he burnt the last piece of parchment that alluded to the unwanted unions. "You're free now so it really doesn't matter, now if you'll excuse me I have a duel to prepare for" he finished seriously.

"You don't think you can actually win do you?" Bellatrix questioned disbelievingly. "He's a bloody world champion" she reminded him.

Harry paused at the door but didn't turn back.

"He's a duelist, I don't duel" he stated flatly, before exiting the room and the house.

"What does that even mean?" Bellatrix asked irritably.

"It means he's a fighter" Arcturus answered proudly. "I wouldn't underestimate the boy" he advised.

"I know a little of what he's capable of" Bellatrix agreed in reply. "Why would he defend us though? It doesn't make sense" she added confusedly.

"Because he's a better person than you will ever understand" Dorea whispered sadly, her eyes firmly on the door that the boy had just exited from.

"Will he be ok?" Narcissa asked the woman worriedly.

Dorea sighed.

"Harry has seen and done things that you wouldn't believe" she explained. "Even I'm not sure of his full abilities but I think Dolohov and the rest of them are in for a rude awakening, you all saw him in the Great Hall after James was attacked" She reminded the three girls.

"He's terrifying" Andromeda concluded succinctly.

Dorea nodded.

"I've seen him train once and I was blown away by what I saw and what he can do, I've been too scared to go in again since that day" she revealed seriously. "But he's my son, I'll always believe in him but it will never stop me fearing for him" she finished emotionally.

"Can he really produce a patronus?" Bellatrix asked curiously.

"He can" Dorea confirmed. "But I think that is one of his lesser skills, he is a very dedicated wizard so I imagine there is very little he can't achieve if he sets his mind to it" she added confidently. "Now I have to go and make sure he is ok" she informed them. "Thank you for our invitation Arcturus" she said formally as she reached the door. "Oh, and Pollux, if my son dies because of your stupidity, I will make every single day you have left a complete misery" she told the man coldly before exiting the house.

"I already plan to" Arcturus growled. "You should feel damn lucky that the boy was here if not I would be killing you right now".

Pollux swallowed deeply and stormed from the house clearly furious of how the day had gone for him.

"What are we going to do?" Druella asked sadly.

"That is entirely up to you" Arcturus answered. "You are family and you are welcome in any of our homes, and thanks to Potter you will always have that freedom, I trusted your father too much and gave him much more freedom than I should have" he sighed exasperatedly.

"Are you joking?" Walburga shrieked, clearly coming out of an unusually shocked state. "The boy just cost you your chance to join the elite of society in greatness" she screeched.

"Orion, shut your wife up, or I will" Arcturus commanded his other son.

Orion simply nodded and took the woman by the arm and led her from the room.

"We have a hell of a debt to the Potter boy" Arcturus muttered.

"Yet, he clearly wants nothing" Melania pointed out.

Arcturus nodded.

"He knew what he held in his hand and he burnt it like it was nothing, he could have had anything he wanted from us'" he whispered disbelievingly.

"What do you mean Grandfather?" Bellatrix asked.

Arcturus turned to face the three girls and smiled warmly at them, pleased that the problem had been solved at least.

"The boy essentially bought those contracts and could have honoured all three if he chose to, demanded a ridiculous sum for them or just kept all three of you as slaves" explained gravely.

Bellatrix shook her head.

Potter had held her and her sister's fates in his hands and simply gave it up for nothing.

' _More to him than I can even understand. He's either an idiot or just an amazing person'_ she mused, her heart warming at the kindness he had shown her and her family, a small smile making it's way to her face.

She sighed and shook her head.

' _He hates me'_ she reminded herself sadly.

Druella noted the expression on her daughter's face and she herself shook her head amusedly.

' _So dense and stubborn'_ she sighed inwardly.

(BREAK)

Dorea followed Harry back to Potter Manor and arrived in time to see him entering the front door in the distance so she rushed to catch the teen up.

She entered the house to meet Charlus who was frowning confusedly in the entrance hall.

"Is there something I should know about?" he asked.

Dorea nodded and swallowed deeply.

She explained everything that had happened and when she had finished Charlus sighed and dragged his hands through his hair.

"Harry has experienced the man before, he nearly killed one of his friends not long before he came here" he informed her, speaking of Dolohov. "He at least has an idea of what he is up against".

"What can we do Charlus?" Dorea questioned worriedly.

"There's nothing we can do except help him as much as we can" he answered thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?" Dorea inquired suspiciously.

Charlus swallowed as he removed a book from his pocket and resized it.

Dorea shook her head furiously.

"You promised that you wouldn't teach this to James unless it was necessary, Harry comes under the same rule" She said firmly.

"Do you not think it is necessary? we both know what the boy is facing and we are in a position to help him, all of them need to be able to defend themselves" Charlus replied gravely.

Dorea nodded reluctantly.

"I never thought we would see this day" she mumbled sadly.

"Neither did I Dor, I thought Grindelwald would be the last for a long time" Charlus agreed. "I guess we were wrong, and Harry never had a childhood, not really, the family magic will give him an extra edge, despite the training he has had, it may be needed" he explained.

"Will you train him personally?" Dorea asked.

Charlus nodded.

"As much as I can, but I imagine he will be even better than myself" he stated knowingly.

Dorea nodded.

"We are going to have to explain this to James and Sirius" she realised aloud.

"Then we should do that now, go and fetch Harry from the basement and bring him to the kitchen" he requested.

Dorea immediately headed for the basement while Charlus entered the kitchen where James and Sirius were sat.

"What's going on Dad?" James asked with a frown noticing his father's unusually serious demeanour.

"Something very serious has happened" Charlus began as Dorea and a completely impassive Harry entered the room.

"What is it?" Sirius asked.

Charlus looked towards his wife, imploring her to explain everything, which she did, causing the other two boys to experience a maelstrom of emotions.

"This is a joke" James stated disbelievingly.

"No joke" Charlus confirmed.

"By why would you do that for them?" James questioned Harry.

"I have my reasons" Harry answered firmly, giving the boy a knowing stare.

James swallowed and nodded his understanding though he clearly did not like it.

Harry stood and made to leave the room but was held back by Charlus who was looking at the book he held sadly.

"Here" he said simply handing Harry the book. "Read it and then come find me and I will help you" he explained.

"Is that the family magic book?" James asked disbelievingly.

"It is" Charlus sighed.

"Can I learn it?" James questioned excitedly.

Charlus shared a look with his wife who was simply looking terrified by the thought.

"The way things are going I think you should" he answered reluctantly. "But this is not a joke this is the most serious thing in the world" he added severely.

James nodded firmly.

"Give me a few days with Harry and then we will start" Charlus conceded.

James nodded and turned his attention to Harry.

"What are you going to do?" he asked worriedly.

Harry looked at the boy through narrowed eyes and nodded slightly.

"I'm going to kill him" he stated simply before exiting the room and heading towards the basement once more.

"He's not serious is he?" Sirius asked, completely shocked by what he had heard.

"He is" James whispered sadly.

"Dolohov will not let him live" Charlus broke in. "Out of his last five opponents four have died, he will try to do the same to Harry" he concluded regretfully.

"What can we do?" James asked desperately.

"Not much, but I think Dolohov is in for a hell of a shock" Charlus declared as he followed Harry from the room to begin helping the boy.

James sighed

' _It's not easy pretending to be your brother Harry, especially when I feel like I have to protect you'_ he thought to himself sadly.

 **A/N**

 **Phew! I wrote and changed this several times and may even change and edit it a little later if I feel the need to, but this is it for now and I will of course let you know if I may any changes, though they won't be very dire.**

 **Oh, I also apologise to anyone that has messaged me and I haven't replied yet I get a surprising amount of messages so that is why I have ncluded my facebook link at the top, Feel free to add me and message me on there.**

 **A little shorter than the others but certainly significant. I stopped it here because the next chapter will be a long one and didn't want this going on for over 30k words but it will be worth the wait I promise.**

 **A few reviewers seem to think that I have made Harry too powerful, just remember, he has only been up against largely untrained sixteen year olds, of course he is going to make them look inept he has been trained by the unspeakables after all and is just much better than them but it won't always be so easy for him as you will see.**

 **The family magic will be explained in the next chapter but it will be a little different than Honour Thy Blood.**

 **Yes, Voldemort acted a little OOC but he was caught off guard and had relied on the Black reputation of being pureblood supremacists. He had no idea about nor prepared for Harry but he is certainly on Tom's radar now. I did toy with the idea of Harry calling him Tom during the parseltongue speech but it would have been a bit too much I think.**

 **Also a quick shout out to StarApple086 who, as she so eloquently put it, is spending time being used as a pincushion in hospital. I feel your pain, I have been there myself and hope you have a speedy recovery.**

 **Anyway, Follow, Favourite and Review as always guys.**

 **TBR**


	6. Marking The End Of Innocence

Chapter 6: Marking The End Of Innocence

Harry made his way to the basement to begin his preparations for the upcoming duel with Dolohov, still not entirely sure why he had put himself in this position.

Yes, he knew that morally it was just the right thing to do but he also knew his reasoning went beyond this. His first thoughts had been preventing the same things from happening at the hands of Bellatrix and to save the young Narcissa from her fate of being married to Lucius. Again, he knew there was more.

The fact was he had realised that even Bellatrix deserves a chance to choose her own path, despite the differences between the two, even if she had cursed, but again it appears that she actually hadn't done so on purpose and had no control over her actions.

This was something that Harry had not even considered. He knew that Bellatrix was an exceedingly gifted witch, so the thought of her being vulnerable to the imperius curse, especially at the hands of one of the Lestrange's was something he could not even comprehend, but if what Cassie had said was true then it would have mattered little how resistant to it she was.

Harry shook his head from his thoughts as he heard someone entering the basement and turned to see Charlus approaching him looking very serious indeed.

The man stood in front of the teen clearly lost in thought before sighing after a few moments and dragging his hand through his hair.

"Ok" he began uncertainly. "The first thing you will find in the book is a collection of spells designed specifically for combat only known by members of our family, meaning that no one other than those with the name Potter will ever know them" he explained.

Harry nodded his understanding and waited for the man to continue.

"The main part of our magic is a very obscure branch that was gifted to us many centuries ago though the knowledge of its origins and who gave it to us is long forgotten" he informed the boy. "It has been taught from father to son for generations never being written down in case someone should happen upon it".

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.

Charlus gave him a speculative look and finally a nod.

"It is a mixture of mind and physical magic" he answered cryptically. "Tell me, what do you feel when you cast a spell? Where do you feel the magic within you?".

Harry thought about the question for a moment, replaying the feeling of casting a spell over and over again in his mind.

"It starts in my chest, flows down my arm and out through my wand" he replied.

Charlus nodded.

"As it should" he stated. "This branch will allow you to feel magic in every fibre of your mind and body, essentially enhancing everything about you by imbuing magic itself into your senses" he explained further.

"What will that do exactly?" Harry inquired with a frown.

"It will make you more sensitive to magic for a start" Charlus began again. "It will sharpen your senses considerably along with your reflexes" he added. "It will make you faster, tire less and keep your mind completely clear while you fight, meaning there will be no fear, no adrenaline and complete focus" he concluded.

"That could be useful" Harry surmised.

"Very" Charlus agreed. "I imagine you will be very good at this as you are already very powerful, which means that imbuing your entire body with magic should be quite easy and offer you a significant advantage in any situation" he pointed out. "It also means that your body will always have a continuous stream of magic flowing through every part of it giving you a resilience to offensive spells, dampening some effects considerably" he finished.

Harry nodded and understood how this indeed could be beneficial.

"How does it work?" he asked.

"Well, at first it is something you have to focus on, similar to occlumency" Charlus explained. "But as with occlumency it will become a part of you and your body will eventually remain in the state completely as second nature" he elaborated. "It has its uses beyond combat situations also but I'll leave that up to you to discover for yourself".

"So, how do we get started?" Harry questioned.

Charlus sighed and swallowed deeply.

"To be able to imbue you body with magic, you first need to experience the feeling of it and that is done with a ritual which is the main secret of the magic, but it can cause changes" he warned.

"What changes?" Harry asked warily.

"It can bring out parts of you that exist internally and cause them to manifest themselves on you physically" Charlus sighed.

"Like scars?" Harry asked.

"Not exactly" Charlus returned.

Seeing that Harry was still confused he shook his head and removed his shirt revealing to the teen what appeared to be a few tattoos.

"My wand cores are griffin claw and dragon heartstring" he explained pointing to each creature that was etched into each side of his chest. "The eagle" he continued, turning around and revealing the third marking. "Is my animagus form" he finished.

"So it will basically give me tattoos" Harry concluded.

Charlus nodded.

"The magic takes your mind, body, soul and magic and combines it into one entity instead of four separate concepts that imprint on each other, though I never felt any different other than my magic bonding with my body completely, but I suspect it may be a little different for yourself" he finished thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned worriedly.

"I think you will have more animal markings than myself as you have an affinity with many" Charlus deduced. "You have your wand cores and I assume an animagus form" he continued with a knowing look. "But you are also a parselmouth and survived the bite of a basilisk, being healed by phoenix tears in the process, so I can only assume again that this may manifest itself on to you" he summarised, clearly not entirely sure of himself.

It made sense to Harry. He was very much aware that the basilisk venom, although no longer dangerous, still flowed through his veins along with the phoenix tears.

"Will they be as big as yours?" Harry asked thoughtfully, not at all against the idea of the markings, he was very fond of all the animals he shared something with after all.

"I honestly have no idea" Charlus responded seriously. "But I think it will be worth it either way, it certainly is a hell of a gift to possess" he explained proudly.

Harry nodded.

"Let's do it then" Harry agreed.

Charlus smiled and nodded.

He had been a little nervous about this conversation and was not entirely sure that the boy would be happy with the side effects of it. But he knew he had to make Harry see it for what it was; a significant advantage in not only a fight, but magic use in general. The boy would understand his magic more and everything about him would benefit from it.

The man himself was very keen to see how far the teen could take the skill, he was already powerful and very well trained. This would simply add to all of it and make him an even better wizard than he already was, something that Charlus could not even fathom as Harry was undoubtedly one of the best he had ever seen.

"Begin by working on some of those spells" he instructed. "I need to get a few things ready first and then we can get the ritual done".

Harry nodded and watched as the man left the room before turning his attention on to the book, his eyes lighting up in excitement as he began to read through the spells within.

The man returned around an hour later draped in a thick black cloak, levitating a smoking cauldron in front of him and carrying two daggers, silver with a gold handle.

He placed the items in the centre of the room, drew his wand and began burning runes into the floor around them, leaving enough space for someone to sit amongst the needed implements.

When he had completed the runes, none of which Harry recognised at all, he gestured for the boy to join him.

"Remove all of your clothes except your underwear and sit between the daggers" he instructed, his tone rather grave.

Harry did as he was asked and waited for the man to give him his next set of instructions.

"Take the dagger on your right and cut across your left palm over the cauldron".

Harry complied and watched as the previously white liquid turned a bright green with a golden hue surrounding it.

Charlus nodded.

"Now do the same with the other hand" he commanded.

Harry complied and the potion grew brighter still.

"Now place your palms together over the solution" the man prompted. "I will draw some of your magic, it may be a little painful" he warned.

Harry nodded and placed his pressed hands over the cauldron. Charlus waved his wand around the boy's hand chanting in a tongue that was nothing like Harry had ever heard before. A burning sensation could be felt the more and more the man chanted and eventually a grey substance with a golden glow began leaking from his hands and pooling into the potion.

Once Charlus was satisfied he had extracted enough he stopped and the wounds on Harry's hands sealed.

"I had a feeling it would be grey" Charlus mused aloud. "You have done and witnessed too much to be a light wizard, but you are righteous and act with good intentions so you are not dark either" he explained.

Harry simply nodded his understanding.

"You must drop your occlumency shields and allow the potion to see you for who you really are, it will only cause you more pain if you fight it" Charlus informed.

Harry swallowed deeply and completely relaxed his occlumency, something he had not done since he allowed Charlus to look through his memories.

"Now drink" Charlus stated. "All of it".

Harry picked up the cauldron and gulped down the potion, completely expecting it to taste awful. It tasted of nothing however, much to the teens relief.

The moment the last drop had disappeared he began to feel light headed and Charlus began chanting once again, waving his wand over the boy.

Harry began feeling magic begin to flow through every part of his body, a very strange feeling indeed, though he felt as though he was breathing for the first time in his life, that something that had been imprisoned had been set free. The feeling was nothing short of euphoric and he basked and reveled in it, hoping and praying that it would never end.

Soon however, the pleasure gave way to pain as his skin began to burn and itch, feeling as though it was being hacked into. This is the last thing he remembered as he lost consciousness and dreamt of Thestrals, Dragons, phoenixes and basilisks that all seemed to stare at him calculatingly before bowing and simply sitting in front of him, watching over him almost as he slept.

Charlus watched the boy as he chanted, his eyes glowing brighter and brighter, his body following soon after. He shook his head worriedly as he saw the look of pure contentment give way to one of sheer agony, but the boy did not even whimper. The man remembered his own ritual and his screaming that left his throat raw for days after.

He finished the required spell and conjured a blanket, covering Harry with it before placing a kiss on the boy's forehead and exiting the room.

"How did it go?" Dorea asked worriedly when he entered the kitchen.

"The boy didn't make a sound" he explained a little sadly.

Dorea nodded.

"He's had too much pain in his life" she sighed.

"He has" Charlus agreed. "We will do yours when Harry wakes up" he added to James who swallowed deeply and nodded.

"Is Harry ok" the boy asked, clearly concerned.

"He will be fine, all we can do is wait but it will be very interesting to see the changes, I expect there to be a few, his magic is really strong, stronger than I thought" he mused aloud.

"How long will he be out for?" Dorea inquired.

Charlus shrugged.

"I was out for just over a day as were you" he reminded his wife. "It might be longer for him" he warned.

Dorea nodded her understanding and cringed at the memory of her own ritual. Of course, she had married Charlus so was allowed to have the family magic, but the memory of receiving it was not pleasant.

She knew all she could do was wait and that Harry would be ok. This knowledge did not keep the woman from worrying however.

 _(BREAK)_

Bellatrix Black awoke the day after Boxing Day feeling relieved, confused and so many other emotions tha she did not how to differentiate them all.

The last 24 hours had been more than a little difficult for the young woman. Although her father had always been aloof, even uncaring at times, she never expected him to try and pull something like he had. It left her feeling rather disheartened that the man who was suppose to love her unconditionally could sell her off as though she was nothing more than an object.

Then there was the other male that was occupying her thoughts; Harry Potter.

She did not understand at all how the boy could go from being so indifferent towards her to literally put his life on the line for her and her sisters, whom he did not know that well, to ensure that they could be free, something that Bellatrix would certainly not take for granted again after this experience.

She shook her head and sighed. The boy simply added to her confusion though she appreciated what he was doing. She could not think of anyone else in her life other than her grandfather or mother who would consider doing such a thing.

There was something about Potter that left her pondering him more than she would care to admit.

At first he had been rather cold towards her and he began warming to her before the attack had happened, after which he had adopted his approach of indifference towards her, almost as though he had completely expected it to happen.

Now he had saved her life more than she could understand and she could not help but worry about him and what it was he was facing.

She knew he was very much a capable wizard but she had no idea how far his talents truly went.

' _Damn Potter, if you survive this then I don't know how to even begin to repay you'_ she sighed inwardly.

Harry Potter was a person you came across once in a lifetime, of that she was sure but she couldn't even begin to comprehend why he was so special and why she kept thinking about him.

It wasn't because of what he was doing for her, she had been thinking about him before that but it was something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

The thoughts of him warmed her in a way she had never expected, gave her a twinge of nervousness she had never been accustomed to and now he made her feel safe as though she had always been exposed and vulnerable to the world.

She shook her head again not wanting to dwell on those thoughts, they only confused her more than she already was.

She pulled on her gown and made her way to the kitchen for breakfast where her two sisters and mother were sat; evidently her father had not come home last night.

"Morning Bella" her mother greeted her.

"Father didn't come home then?" Bellatrix questioned.

Druella shook her head.

"And he'd better not even think about it yet or I will curse the bastard" she growled.

"I thought Harry was going to curse him" Narcissa cut in.

"I think punching him was worse" Andromeda interjected. "That would have embarrassed him more".

Bellatrix nodded her agreement and turned to face her younger sister.

"What actually did happen in the alley? You didn't even mention it to us" she asked with a frown.

"Because I didn't think Harry would want me to" Narcissa replied.

When her sister continued to look at her expectantly she sighed.

"I went to get Andi's present and Father was supposed to take me but he said that he had important things to do" she began. "I'd just come out of the shop and everything felt really cold and then I saw them" she added, shaking her head ruefully.

"The Dementors?" Andromeda queried.

Narcissa nodded.

"I froze when they came" she admitted ashamedly. "Everyone else was running and they were coming right for me when I felt someone wrap me in their arms and shout something, then everything went warm and I saw the big white reindeer attacking them" she finished with a shrug.

"How many were there?" Druella asked.

"Too many to count, but there was a lot" Narcissa answered certainly.

Druella's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Impressive" she whispered. "Most people can barely handle one or two at most" she mused aloud.

"What happened next?" Bellatrix broke in curiously.

"He fixed the unicorn and took me to the shop to get the enchantments done again, he even paid for it" Narcissa explained. "Then he took me to get ice cream with lots of chocolate, he said it would make me feel better" she shrugged.

"Anything else?" Bellatrix questioned further.

"People from the newspaper came and asked him if it was him that fought the Dementors and he said it wasn't, he told me he didn't want to be in the paper or anyone knowing what he did" Narcissa responded confusedly.

Druella chuckled.

"Selfless too and clearly not a glory seeker" she said with a disbelieving shake of her head.

Bellatrix too shook her head.

' _I really don't understand you Potter'_ she huffed internally.

"As impressive as that is, what the hell was yesterday about?" Andromeda questioned seriously.

"What about it?" Bellatrix asked.

"A parselmouth? Not exactly considered a light ability and just where does a sixteen year old get 1.5 million galleons from that he carries around in his pocket?"

"He would not have gotten that from Dorea, but remember he's been away since he was eleven he may have earned it by doing things like he did for Cissy" Druella suggested.

"Maybe" Andromeda agreed. "But the parseltongue?"

"It was prominent in the Black line once but not for centuries" Druella mused.

Andromeda shrugged.

"Do you think he's dark?" she asked.

"I don't think he's light, we all saw what he did to the Lestrange's and Snape" she reminded them.

"And he threatened to flay Rudolphus alive" Narcissa chimed in. "I was sat right next to where it happened" she pointed out.

Bellatrix's eyebrows rose at that. She had deduced that what he had whispered to the boy had not been exactly amiable but she had not expected that.

"He knows more dark magic than our whole family combined" she revealed.

"What do you mean?" Druella inquired.

"That's how we met, Mortlake paired us together for Defense and he never once had to look at a book to answer anything, he just knows" Bellatrix shrugged.

"Maybe he's a grey wizard" the older woman shrugged. "Has his own morals and does whatever is necessary to get things done".

"He refused to join those idiots yesterday too and made them look like morons" Andromeda pointed out.

"That Gaunt guy gave me the creeps" Narcissa stated with a grimace.

Bellatrix nodded her agreement, he was rather unsavoury.

"Why would he fight for us though?" Andromeda questioned.

"He must have his reasons" Bellatrix whispered thoughtfully.

"We should all just be grateful that he did what he did" Druella sighed. "I can't think of anyone other than your Grandfather who would do that".

"Do you think he will be ok?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

"As Aunt Dorea said, you shouldn't underestimate him, I think Dolohov is in for a surprise" Druella stated gravely.

"I wouldn't have even been mad if he kept my contract" Narcissa sighed.

"He's too old for you Cissy" Andromeda returned. "But I wouldn't either" she added with a smirk.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at her sisters as they elicited a stab of something unpleasant in her chest and stomach.

"Well he burnt them all so clearly he wouldn't be interested" she retorted.

"I think Bella wanted him to keep her one too" Narcissa whispered.

Bellatrix just shook her head.

"I thought you were already seeing someone" she aimed at Andromeda with a grin.

The other girl paled and shook her head frantically.

"And who is this boy Andromeda?" Druella questioned.

"No one Mother" the girl replied.

The woman hummed disbelievingly.

"Well I had better ensure that your father at least has some clothes" she sighed as she left the room.

Andromeda waited until the footsteps of her mother faded before she turned angrily to her sister.

"Why would you do that?" she hissed.

"Well you are seeing someone aren't you?" the girl returned.

"Yes, but I don't want Mum and especially Dad finding out" Andromeda answered urgently, shooting a glance at the kitchen door to ensure her mother was not returning.

"Is there something wrong with him?" Bellatrix asked.

"No" Andromeda sighed. "But Dad definitely won't allow it".

Bellatrix frowned, a frown that was quickly replaced by a look of realisation.

"He's not a pureblood" She stated incredulously.

Andromeda nodded.

"I've liked him since third year but never got to speak to him until Mortlake paired us together" she explained.

Bellatrix nodded. She never would have spoken to Harry had they not been paired together. She once again shook the thoughts of the boy from her head.

"Slytherin?" Bellatrix asked amusedly.

Andromeda shook her head.

"Ravenclaw?"

"No".

"Gryff?".

Andromeda shook her head once more.

"A duffer then" Bellatrix balked.

Andromeda nodded and flushed, a pink tinge appearing on her cheeks.

"Is that the blonde boy I saw you kissing behind the statue on the fifth floor?" Narcissa piped up with a grin.

"Cissy" Andromeda yelped. "You shouldn't spy on me".

"I was making my way back from the library, you should hide better, but he seemed nice" Narcissa returned.

Andromeda shook her head in frustration.

"What's his name?" Bellatrix asked.

"Ted" Andromeda answered simply.

"He's a muggleborn then" the other girl whispered urgently.

Andromeda just nodded.

"Dad will kill you, but I don't think Mum would be that bothered, especially after yesterday I think she'll just be happy you chose him yourself" Bellatrix shrugged.

"It doesn't bother you?" Andromeda questioned with a frown.

"Not really but I don't get what you could see in him" Bellatrix responded curiously.

"Because he's not scared of me" Andromeda began. "He doesn't care about our reputation and he makes me smile" she added. "He's nice and really cute too".

"He is" Narcissa agreed. "Marrying most purebloods just makes you a housewife or a trophy" she added disgustedly.

"True" Bellatrix admitted. "But they can't all be like that".

"They are" Andromeda sighed. "Have you ever met anyone apart from Aunt Dorea and Grandma who were allowed to do what they wanted?"

"No" Bellatrix answered simply.

She had never met anyone other than her Grandmother and Great Aunt who weren't made to have children and just be a housewife in the pureblood community. The women were all miserable and clearly not satisfied with their lives.

She sighed at the thought and turned them once more to the green eyed boy that had been occupying them for the most part, for whatever reason that may be.

 _(BREAK)_

It was almost three days later that Harry awoke after the ritual had been complete having spent the duration asleep on the hard floor.

He stretched and groaned before standing, taking a moment to steady his wobbly before he opened his eyes.

He felt different, that was for sure. For the first time in his life he felt complete, like he had always been missing something, like an extra sense he had never been aware of before.

He looked down, his eyes widening at what he saw.

It wasn't the fact that he had several creatures etched into various parts of his skin, it was that he felt taller and looked a little bigger than he remembered being.

He drew his wand and conjured a large mirror so he could look at himself properly and to ensure he wasn't just imagining it.

He wasn't.

He was certainly a little more muscular than he had been and at least a couple of inches taller to.

"He didn't mention this" he whispered.

He shook his head and decided that he would ask Charlus about it when he saw him, which would be soon enough. He instead turned his attention to the beasts that had been tattooed into his flesh noted how beautiful each one looked, before frowning as he realised one was missing.

"Where's the Thestral" he wondered aloud.

He took stock of what he could see and frowned, surprised by the appearance of one of the animals.

On the right side of his torso he had what he assumed to be a Ukrainian Ironbelly etched across the entirety of his ribs, finishing somewhere on the top, outer part of his thigh, hidden by his underwear. The entire thing was a deep grey in colour with icy blue eyes.

The left side had a Hungarian Horntail that mirrored the other, completely grey as the other dragon was with bright amber eyes.

"The cut it gave me" he whispered in realisation as he rubbed his right arm where the beast had caught him during the first task of the tournament.

The expected basilisk had found a home on the bottom half of his left leg, coiled around his shin with its head resting on the top of his foot complete with the bright yellow eyes.

Although he did not have particularly fond memories of the creature at all, he had to admit that it was beautiful in its own way and had certainly become a part of him.

The phoenix was on the back of his right calf, smaller than he had expected it would be but was no less beautiful than the others. It looked very much like Fawkes and had one orange and one red eye.

It was when he made to turn to get a better look at one of the dragons that his eye caught something on his shoulder blade and he rotated to get a better look, his eyes widening in complete shock.

His whole back had been taken up by a Thestral in flight, the wings spreading across the entirety of his shoulders, looking as though it was flying out of the skin. The eyes were a bright emerald green very much like his own and his breath hitched in his chest at the beauty of the creature.

"I guess you are the one I'm most like" he said warmly, eyeing the inky creature fondly. "It definitely could have been much worse" he added, breathing a sigh of relief.

He spent a further ten minutes simply staring at himself and the changes that had been done to him and simply enjoying the feeling of freedom.

Even his eyes had changed slightly.

They had always been a rather bright shade of green but they were even more brighter and seemed to glow a small amount, not that he was opposed to it. He had always liked his eye colour and now it just seemed to be more accentuated.

He eventually pulled himself away from his reflection and conjured a gown, knowing that his clothes would no longer fit him, the underwear was tight enough and he wasn't going to test the t-shirt.

He pulled on the gown and approached the door while doing it up, sighing as he placed his hand on the handle.

' _This is weird'_ he sighed internally.

He entered the kitchen to find the rest of the Potter's sat around the table eating breakfast and Dorea gave a massive sigh of relief when she became aware that he had joined.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, giving him a very calculative stare.

"I feel great" Harry answered honestly. "Better than I ever have".

Dorea nodded and continued to stare.

"You're taller" she stated matter of factly. "And you look bigger".

"I think I am" Harry replied. "I feel it".

"I should have mentioned that" Charlus cut in. "I myself grew an inch after mine and filled out a little".

"I think of grown a few inches" Harry sighed with a frown.

"I'd say so" Dorea replied. "Look at me a moment" she requested.

Harry did so and her eyes widened.

"Your eyes are definitely brighter by a fair amount" she pointed out.

Harry just nodded.

"Any other changes?" Charlus asked.

Harry nodded again and swallowed deeply.

It wasn't that he was ashamed of the markings at all he was just nervous about the reactions they would have to him having so many and mostly large ones.

"More than expected?" the man chuckled knowingly.

Harry nodded again and took a deep breath before undoing the gown and removing it.

Charlus let out a low appreciative whistle while James and Dorea both looked shocked.

"No Thestral?" Charlus asked with a frown.

Harry simply turned around to reveal his back and heard three gasps of disbelief.

"Shitting hell" James muttered.

"It's beautiful, they all are" Dorea whispered.

"What's up with the other dragon and the snake?" James questioned with a frown. "And the phoenix" he added.

Harry looked towards Charlus and Dorea who both nodded.

"Sirius has gone to see his Grandfather to see if he can get some books on family magic, he can't learn ours" Charlus explained.

Harry sighed again and dragged his hand through his hair.

"I faced the Horntail during the Triwizard tournament, got bit by a basilisk and healed by a phoenix" he explained quickly.

"Bit by a basilisk?" James asked weakly. "Triwizard tournament?" he continued in disbelief.

"The boy killed the basilisk with a sword" Charlus announced proudly causing James to pale further "and won the tournament".

James shook his head, a heartbroken look making its way on his face.

"I'm sorry Harry" he whispered, choking on his words. "You shouldn't have had to do any of that".

"It wasn't your fault" Harry stated firmly. "You weren't there" he reminded him.

"But I should have been" James returned angrily.

Harry shook his head.

"But you weren't and I made it through all of that stuff, you did what you did because it was the right thing to do, I have never held that against you" Harry explained sincerely. "I have always been proud that you died defending us and you should be too, that's the kind of man you are growing into".

"He's right James" Charlus cut in. "Harry is here now and that is all that matters, we shouldn't dwell too much on his past, no matter how bad it was, we should be looking forward and making sure that none of those things happen again" he finished firmly.

James nodded his understanding.

"It's just hard sometimes" he sighed.

"I understand" Dorea responded knowingly.

"How about we get your ritual done and then we can get to work" Charlus suggested.

James nodded excitedly.

"There's a good lad" Charlus praised. "Have you tried it out yet?" he added to Harry.

Harry shook his head. He felt as though he could do it on command. He knew that all he had to do was allow his magic to flow freely from where he could feel it itching to escape from his chest.

"Give it a try" Charlus commanded.

Harry focused and immediately felt his magic start spreading throughout his body, his senses sharpening as he did so and his mind becoming more and more focused.

"Holy shit" Charlus whispered.

The boy's eyes were glowing eerily bright and the magic coursing its way through his veins was making his hair ripple gently as though caught in a gentle breeze.

"Wow" Dorea agreed.

Harry contained his magic once more and allowed everything to return to normal, well what was now normal for the teen.

"Impressive" Charlus concluded. "The ritual wouldn't have made you anymore powerful but the power you do have is obvious and your body has completely accepted the changes and I assume that is why it has changed as much as it has, it simply needed to grow to allow everything to work as it should" he surmised.

"Can we do mine now?" James cut in impatiently.

Charlus chuckled.

"You won't be so keen when you're feeling the pain of it" he warned.

"I suppose I will have to go and buy more clothes" Harry sighed. "when you're better we will work on the patronus some more with Sirius when he is back" he added, talking to James.

The boy just nodded and appeared to now be a little nervous as Charlus led him from the room to take complete the ritual himself.

Harry took a deep breath and braced himself. He knew the day was going to be long as he needed to purchase a whole new wardrobe once more.

He showered and managed to adjust some clothes to fit him before heading out to Diagon Alley first, planning to take a trip into muggle London to get his exercise clothes this time around.

 _(BREAK)_

It was after a very busy and tiring final week of the holidays that found Harry, James and Sirius settling into their compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express once more to head back to school.

Simply put, Charlus had been pushing all three of the boy's to their limits over the past several days and although Harry was used to such treatment, the other two were not, meaning they were exhausted.

Try as he may, the man had not been able to tire Harry at all, much to his frustration and relief. It was clear to the man that the teen was simply on a whole new level of anyone he had ever worked with, even the best auror's he had helped over the years.

James's ritual had gone well and he had woken up a day after it had been completed, looking very much as he always had though he was around an inch taller and his eyes had lightened from a chocolate brown to a hazel colour.

The differences between the two Potter teens were now quite considerable. Harry was taller, more thickly built with much more delicate features and eyes like no other. They seemed to now dance with a gently burning fire continuously and would glow even brighter so when he was using his magic.

James had, as expected, emerged from his ritual with a few tattoos of his own. His chest now adorned a Sphinx on one side and a stag on the other. The surprising addition to this pair was the small Thestral that had appeared on the top of his thigh, a Thestral with glowing green eyes just like Harry's.

Sirius had been rather chipper when he had returned from visiting Arcturus and the man had actually been pleased to see the boy, much to the younger Blacks surprise. His Grandfather had gladly handed over the books on the family magic and had had a long discussion with his Grandson about the nature of magic so that he did not immediately dismiss the family practices as dark or evil, which would certainly be an easy thing to do.

The Blacks were specialists in offensive curses and it had taken a further conversation with Sirius by Charlus to convince him to learn it. He had pointed out that it was an advantage that others would not have and could save his own or his friends lives one day.

After the talk with Charlus, Sirius had been working on the magic though he was finding it difficult to perform the intent based spells. The sixteen year old boy had no reason to want to curse someone in that nature as things were. He was a far cry from the man who had lost his best friend and wound up in prison for twelve years, that was for sure.

"Do you think Dad has a thing for pain?" James grumbled as the trio took their seats and waited for Remus and Peter to join them.

"He must do" Sirius surmised. "He did marry a Black after all".

James cringed.

"I really did not need those images in my head" he whined.

Sirius snickered at the discomfort of the other boy before turning his attention to Harry.

"Are you going to explain your tattoo's to me?" he asked eagerly. "His, I understand" he added, gesturing to James.

Harry looked between the two boy's and sighed.

He knew they had both come along way in their views to magic but he wasn't sure if they were quite ready, then again he never would be entirely.

"Well the Thestral is my form and part of my wand" he began. "The Ironbelly is also in my wand, as you know and I got injured by a Horntail on my travels" he added cryptically, knowing that James already knew that.

He sighed again before continuing.

"You know I'm not some kind of evil Dark Lord wannabe don't you?" he asked seriously.

"I know you're not a light wizard, but you are a good guy" Sirius returned sincerely.

Harry nodded gratefully and gave him a weak smile. He could not admit that he had fought and killed a basilisk, that would raise far too many questions that he could not answer right now.

"My old wand core was a Phoenix feather" he began again. "The one I outgrew" he clarified.

"And the snake?" Sirius questioned.

"I'm a parselmouth" Harry revealed quietly.

Both James and Sirius looked very surprised by the piece of information but did not flinch or back away as Harry had expected.

"Must be from the Black line" James whispered.

"Yeah" Sirius piped up, swallowing nervously. "Grandfather told me we used to have them and metamorph's too" he explained thoughtfully. "You might want to keep it to yourself though, we both know you but other people won't take it so well" Sirius advised.

"I plan to" Harry agreed, very relieved that the duo were taking it well.

It was only a few moments later that the three were joined by Peter and Remus who both seemed happy to be back in the company of their friends.

"How was your holiday?" Peter asked.

James shook his head.

"Messed up" he surmised.

Remus frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well Harry and I were allowed to learn our family magic" James informed them.

It was then that Remus looked at Harry properly for the first time, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline.

"Shit, did you drink a gallon of growth potion?" he questioned incredulously. "You look so different, like you're not even twins anymore" he added, glancing between the two Potters.

"Part of the magic" James answered dismissively. "But that's not the worst of it" he sighed.

"What happened?" Peter broke in nervously.

"Harry went to our Grandparent's for Boxing Day and now finds himself in a real wizards duel" James whispered frantically.

"How did that happen?" Remus asked urgently. "I know the Blacks are bad but wanting to kill their own Grandson" he finished, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's not like that" Harry chuckled.

"He's only bloody fighting because my prick of an uncle tried to put Bellatrix and her sisters in a marriage contract" Sirius cut in disbelievingly. "He tried to do it so my Grandfather had to sign it but Harry put a stop to it".

"How?" Remus asked with a frown.

"By buying the damn contracts and having to fight a champion of their choice" Sirius answered. "I just don't get why you would do it".

"Because it is the right thing to do, no one should be married to a Lestrange or a Malfoy even by choice" Harry replied. "Just imagine, if I would do that for them, what do you think I'd be willing to do to protect all of you".

Sirius shook his head.

"Do you know who you have to fight?" Peter asked worriedly.

"Only Antonin Dolohov" James cut in, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

Remus laughed.

"You almost had me going" he chuckled.

"Moony, we are not joking" Sirius assured him.

The werewolf blanched.

"The man is a bloody world champion duelist" he hissed frantically.

"Exactly, he's a duelist and I don't duel" Harry stated flatly.

"What rules are there?" Remus demanded.

"None, we both walk in only one of us walks out" Harry shrugged.

He was nervous about the duel but he knew Dolohov could not beat him. He had been trained by the best people from twenty years in front of them and he had experience of the man before. Yes, he was very skilled and rather powerful but he was not on Harry's level.

"Shit" Remus cursed simply.

"I'll be fine Remus" Harry assured the boy.

Remus swallowed deeply and nodded.

He knew that Harry was a very gifted wizard but he could not comprehend how he could hope to defeat a duelist of such calibre.

"Does that mean you have to kill him?" Peter questioned.

Harry just nodded.

Seeing that the two boys were looking nervously at each other he sighed before speaking again.

"I've been taught to fight and fight to kill" he explained bluntly. "I don't enjoy it but in the world we live in it is a necessity" he added. "And even more so now with that moron Voldemort around" he finished, shaking his head irritably.

Both Peter and Remus flinched and gasped at the casual use of the name.

"Trust me, he's not that scary" he assured them. "I met him on Boxing Day when he was trying to recruit my uncle and he's just an insane idiot who is trying to bite off way more than he could handle" he informed them.

"You met him?" Remus asked, clearly surprised.

"Yeah" Harry confirmed. "He even tried to recruit me to his stupid cause and I told him I wasn't interested at all" he shrugged.

Peter looked very thoughtful and Remus simply shook his head.

"Harry?" Sirius broke in after the compartment had been silent for a while. "Could you train us?" he requested nervously.

The other three boys in the compartment wore expressions of apprehension and eagerness, causing Harry to frown.

"Ok" he agreed. "How about you all come and watch me train after transfiguration tomorrow and see if you still want to afterwards" he offered.

The other four nodded readily.

"I am warning you though, I do not take my training lightly and I use magic that most of you won't approve of" he continued seriously. "But I would never use the magic against people who don't deserve it" he added sincerely. "And I guess it is about time that I shared one of my secrets with you" he finished with a grin.

"You mean where you train?" Peter asked hopefully.

"Yeah, but it stays between us and only us, believe me, this is something you will all enjoy".

The other boys were clearly intrigued and eager to see the room. They knew it must be rather special to get Harry excited.

The rest of the journey passed peacefully enough with the group discussing the more enjoyable parts of their respective holidays. Peter talked about his trip to Sweden and how much he had fallen in love with the place and Remus spoke about the enjoyable and quiet Christmas he had with his parents.

It was not long after the train pulled that the Marauders found themselves sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall waiting for Dumbledore to start the feast.

"Welcome, welcome back" the headmaster greeted the students jovially. "I am pleased to see you all in such good health and well rested but I must begin the start of this year with some very sad news" he informed them gravely. "Over the course of the holidays three of our own were tragically taken from us at the hands of those that wish to create an atmosphere of unrest and forced changes through the use of violence so it is a time of mourning for us".

A smattering of furious whispers could be heard throughout the hall and the man raised his hands to garner silence once more.

"We sadly lost Mr. Epstein of Hufflepuff, Miss Caruthers of Ravenclaw and Miss Fawcett of Gryffindor house" he reeled off morosely. "Now more than ever it is up to us to be united against what is now plaguing our world" declared passionately. "I am sure you are all aware that the Dementors also attempted an attack on Diagon Alley that was thankfully prevented by an anonymous individual who bravely stepped up when he was needed" he continued, shooting a knowing glance towards Harry. "We however will continue as we always have and Hogsmeade weekends will go ahead as usual but I implore each and every one of you to come forward with any concerns or if you see anything at all suspicious, no matter how insignificant they may seem" he advised seriously. "But for now, we have a feast to enjoy" he concluded, sweeping a hand across the breadth of the room and causing the plates to be filled with food.

"I didn't realise things were getting that bad" Peter whispered.

"It will only get worse" Harry responded certainly.

The feast was a very subdued affair and the boys gratefully left the hall to make their way back to Gryffindor tower. They had just left the hall when Harry was tapped on the shoulder and he turned to be faced with the young Narcissa Black who immediately threw her arms around him.

"Hello Harry" she greeted the boy with a smile.

The rest of the Marauders were confused by the fond way in which the young Black was interacting with someone from their house, completely uncaring of the glares she was receiving by those in her own.

"How are you Cissy?" Harry asked warmly. "Are you not worried that your housemates will be upset with you for talking to me?".

"Don't care if they are" the girl shrugged. "I like you more than any of them and besides, I'll curse them if they say anything" she added with a grin.

Harry just shook his head and chuckled.

"Well then you better not be a stranger, you can come and speak to me any time you like" he returned happily.

"Good" Narcissa stated. "I'd be a bad friend if I didn't" she observed. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hi but I will see you soon" she added, before leaving to head to her own common room.

"OK that was weird" Remus stated as the group began heading to their common room.

"We bonded" Harry shrugged.

"You're a strange person Harry, you seem to be able to win everyone over" Peter pointed out amusedly.

"Not everyone" Harry sighed, thinking of the other Black sister he had spent time with.

They entered the common room and almost immediately Harry found himself in a tight and enthusiastic embrace once more.

"Hello Lily"

"Thank you for the book, it's amazing" the redhead responded after she had extracted herself from his chest. "You've grown, a lot" she added with a curious frown.

"I am sixteen, that is usually what happens, we don't need to have an awkward conversation about growing up do we?" he asked with a smirk.

Lily blushed and shook her head furiously.

"I know about all that" she whispered shyly. "I just mean you've grown more than should be possible in only a couple of weeks".

"Magic" Harry returned simply.

Lily just giggled and shook her head once more.

"Would you still be able to help me with my project? I'm a little stuck on a few things and could do with a fresh pair of eyes to look it over" she sighed.

Harry nodded.

"I can but I have something really important I need to focus on, so I will help you when it's dealt with, which should be soon hopefully".

"Thank you" the girl said gratefully. "I'm going to head up to bed but I will see you tomorrow".

"See you later Lily" he bade the girl farewell.

Harry himself was soon in bed feeling a little nervous about showing the others the room. He knew they would keep it a secret between the group he just hoped they did not think he was keeping secrets because he did not trust them. He also needed t think of a way how he could explain his knowledge of the room, something he would ponder in the morning as he was far too tired to do so now.

 _(BREAK)_

It was after Transfiguration the next morning that found Harry leading the other four Marauders to the seventh floor, up to the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy attempting to teach the trolls how to dance.

"As entertaining as the tapestry is Harry, there are no rooms here" Remus pointed out.

"Not any that you can see" Harry replied with a smirk.

"We mapped this whole floor already and there is nothing up here worth seeing" Sirius interjected with a frown.

Harry sighed.

"Watch and learn" he advised.

He began pacing back and forth in front of the blank stretch of wall thinking of his training room while being watched by the others who were clearly confused, though they all gasped when the large oak door appeared.

Harry opened the door and led his four dumbfounded friends in, closing the door behind them.

"Gentleman, I give you the room of requirement" he announced proudly.

"It's just like our basement" James stated flatly.

"At the moment" Harry agreed. "But it can become almost anything you want it to be".

"Bullshit" Sirius disagreed.

"Think of something you really want, other than food or gold and the room will provide it" Harry challenged.

Sirius gave him a calculative look before closing his eyes, deep in thought.

After a few moments the room became much larger and a swimming pool appeared on the far side.

"fuck me" Sirius balked in complete disbelief. "How did you find it?" he asked.

"I asked a house elf for some where I can train and he showed me this" Harry answered truthfully.

"Do you have any idea what we can do with this room?" Remus asked excitedly.

"The possibilities are endless" James whispered.

"No more broom cupboards" Sirius declared happily.

"Our secret remember" Harry reminded him.

Sirius looked more than a little disappointed but nodded his agreement.

"We have a lot of time to play with and enjoy the room but now it is training time" Harry informed them as he made the pool disappear.

"How do you start?" Peter asked.

"Well I do my exercises in the morning, running and weights and so on" Harry began. "Then I come here in the afternoon to do my spell work" he shrugged. "So just relax and watch, if you want to try anything then go for it but be careful" he warned.

The four boys took a tentative step back as Harry set up the dummies how he always did, charming them so they fired stunners at him to begin with as a warm up.

He readied himself and allowed his magic to flow through him for the first time while training this way.

Immediately he was amazed at how much easier it felt to him, it was as if his magic was telling him where the attacks would be coming from, giving him plenty of time to bat the spells away or dodge before laying waste to the dummies over and over again.

He decided to up the ante much sooner than he usually would and had the dummies firing different coloured jets of light at him, indicating different and much more dangerous curses, though they were only replicated and wouldn't actually harm him.

The other four boys looked on in shock and awe at the skill on display by the teen. They watched as he dodged, shielded and simply batted away curses before destroying dummies with such destructive magic they could not believe that it was real or possible. All of the spells that Harry was firing was potentially lethal and much darker than they had been expecting, making them all feel more than a little nervous.

After around ten minutes Harry paused his training and turned to check on the others, hoping he could make them understand why he was doing what he was, or he would have to stun them and obliviate the memories from their minds, something he was not particularly keen on doing if he could help it.

"How is that even possible?" Remus asked. "I've never seen anything like it".

Peter just nodded his agreement while swallowing deeply.

"I wasn't expecting that, I thought the magic I saw you using that Charlus taught you was good, but that was something else" Sirius stated.

James had a slightly saddened look on his face but gave a Harry a weak smile of approval.

"Could you show us some of that?" he questioned warily.

Harry just nodded.

"You really are planning to kill him aren't you?" Peter broke in.

Harry could see the apprehension that was plaguing the boy so decided to be bluntly honest with him and also put him on the spot, a test of character was need on the boy after all.

"I am" he answered honestly. "What would you do if you were having dinner with your family and a bunch of people broke in and started trying to kill you all?" he asked.

Peter looked nervously between the other boys but was cut off by Harry.

"I'm asking you Peter, not what they would want you to do" he pointed out.

Peter swallowed nervously and stood a little straighter.

"I'd do what I had to do to protect them and myself" he conceded.

"Exactly" Harry concurred. "Well something like that happened to three students here over Christmas and probably more that we don't know about" he reminded him.

"But I'm a pureblood" Peter replied confusedly.

"Caruthers was a pureblood" Remus chimed in.

"Your blood has nothing to do with what is going on out there Peter, they are just using it as an excuse to gain power" Harry explained.

Peter shook his head and looked at the others imploringly.

Harry sighed.

"What would you do if you saw any of them in trouble?" he questioned the boy, gesturing to the rest of the group.

Peter paled at the thought of such a thing and swallowed deeply once more.

"I'd help" he stated simply. "I'm not as good with a wand as any of you but I'd try".

"As we would do for you" Remus spoke seriously. "We would defend you to the death".

"You'd do that for me?" the boy asked disbelievingly.

"Of course we bloody would, you're one of us" Sirius answered hotly.

"But when we leave school you won't want to be friends with me still" Peter replied uncertainly.

"What gave you that stupid idea?" Remus asked irritably.

"Well you're all better than me and have to stick up for me all the time, you won't want me hanging around you when this is over" Peter returned a little more surely.

"Don't be a bloody prat Wormy" James sighed. "You are our brother, just look at all the things we have done together" he implored. "Things will be different when we leave school but things between us won't".

"We defend you because that's what friends do" Sirius explained. "You may not be as good with a wand but you piss all over us when it comes to potions and herbology".

"They're not as useful" Peter sighed, shaking his head.

"Which one of us is going to learn how to brew Remus's potion for him every month when it's available?" James asked. "It certainly won't be me or Padfoot".

"Or me" Harry broke in. "You're way better than I am at potions" he added sincerely.

Peter still looked unsure so Harry spoke once more.

"How often do we use potions in our pranks?" he asked.

"All of them" Remus answered immediately.

Harry nodded knowingly.

"James does the transfiguration spells, Remus does the runes stuff and enchanting, Sirius does most of the planning and charms work and you do the potions" he reeled off. "All I do is conceal the spells, the least important job of all of it and something that any of you could learn".

"But you're by far the best with a wand" Peter pointed out.

"And you are by far the best with potions" Harry countered. "A skill that all of us need".

"But beyond all of that you are our friend, our brother" James added. "We might protect you but it is Harry that protects us, just look at what he did for me when I was attacked" he reminded the boy.

"And I would do the same for you Peter, all of you" Harry promised.

"You really would wouldn't you?" Peter asked incredulously, noting the sincerity that the other boys spoke with.

"Of course" Harry responded. "All of us would, it's what we do".

Peter nodded.

"I really thought it would all be over once we left" he admitted sadly.

"Never" Sirius declared. "Now why don't we let Harry teach us a few spells so we can curse ol' Snivellus if he tries anything again" he suggested, causing the other boys to chuckle.

Harry let out a deep sigh inwardly.

' _Maybe we just changed his life'_ he thought hopefully.

 _(BREAK)_

The group spent the majority of the weekend in the room where Harry began to train them in offensive magic, beginning with simple things like Bludgeoners and Bone Breakers. When they weren't training they tested the room to see what the true capabilities of it were and found it had very few limits.

Harry had been right when he had pointed out that it could not produce food or precious materials such as gold and jewels but beyond this, there was very little that the room could not give them.

Monday morning arrived and with that, the busiest day of the week where Harry had three lessons to attend. The five boys had just settled down to eat their breakfast when the morning post began flooding in as usual but among the owls was a bird that was very rarely seen and never delivering mail in Hogwarts.

Immediately the students began chattering nervously amongst themselves, waiting to see where the large black raven would land. Harry immediately knew it was for him so simply waited for the creature to bring him its note.

The bird screeched and landed in front of him, eliciting a series of gasps to sound throughout the room from the pureblood students who began explaining it's meaning to the rest of the assembled pupils who did not understand the significance of it.

Harry removed the note and gave the raven some bacon, the bird taking it's leave after it's job had been done.

"When?" James asked gravely.

Harry read the note and smirked darkly, his magic instinctively flowing through him with the anticipation of battle.

"Tomorrow" he answered casually.

He stood and approached the table where the staff were all staring at him with very serious expressions etched on their faces.

"Professor Dumbledore" Harry greeted the headmaster formally. "I must ask your permission to miss my classes tomorrow as I have some family business to attend to" he requested.

Dumbledore swallowed deeply and nodded, knowing there was nothing he could do to prevent what was happening.

"May I ask who you are dueling" he inquired quietly.

Harry handed him the note and the man paled considerably and choked.

"What is it Albus?" McGonagall asked urgently.

Dumbledore was clearly lost for words so at Harry's nod of approval handed the note to the stern woman.

"Dolohov" she whispered worriedly.

"Antonin Dolohov?" Flitwick questioned.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Are you sure about this Harry?" he asked worriedly.

"I have no choice" Harry responded flatly. "But I will be fine" he assured the man.

"Mr. Potter, I'd like you to come and see me this afternoon if you wouldn't mind" Flitwick interjected.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"Take today off Mr. Potter, I daresay you will need it" McGonagall suggested.

"Thank you Professor, and I will see you later Professor" he added to Flitwick.

He took the note back from Professor McGonagall and began heading for the door of the Great Hall, eager to begin his preparation.

"I want all staff in my office after you have met with Mr. Potter Filius" Dumbledore commanded.

 _(BREAK)_

Lily looked on in complete confusion as the raven entered the room and the students began to whisper frantically.

"Oh shit" Marlene muttered.

"What is it?" Lily questioned.

"Notification of an already agreed upon duel" Marlene explained.

"Oh, is that it" Lily shrugged.

"Lils, the raven means it is a duel to the death, someone is going to fight with no rules" Marlene explained further.

"Surely not a student though" Lily stated disbelievingly.

"Anyone from the age of fourteen can do it" Marlene sighed.

"That's just barbaric" Lily huffed, clearly disgusted by it.

"Oh shit" Marlene muttered again as she watched the raven land in front of Harry.

"Oh my god" Lily whispered worriedly. "Why would he do that?" she asked pleadingly.

"I don't know" Marlene answered simply.

The pair watched as Harry stood and made his way to the front of the room. Lily stood immediately and made her way to his friends, all of them looking very worried indeed.

"What the hell Potter?" She questioned furiously.

James just shook his head.

"Not today Evans, just don't" he warned.

"Why is your brother fighting someone to the death?" the redhead hissed angrily.

"He has his reasons" James responded cryptically. "Don't look at me like that I didn't sign him up for it".

Lily shook her head.

"Aren't any of you going to explain?" she addressed the group.

"It's not our place to, you'll have to take it up with him" James returned seriously.

"So you won't tell me anything?" Lily questioned further.

"Evans, the only thing I care about right now is Harry so just leave it please" James pleaded.

"He's my friend" Lily retorted heatedly.

"And he's my fucking brother so just leave it" James responded, banging his fist on the table.

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry Lily, it's just a bit too much for me to handle, I didn't mean to take it out on you, but it's family stuff" he finished sincerely.

Lily swallowed and nodded, even she knew that in the wizarding world family took precedence over everything.

"I'm just scared for him" she whispered as she began to tremble uncontrollably.

"All of us are but you don't know him like we do, he will be fine" James replied, attempting to calm and reassure the girl.

"But he's going to die or be killed" Lily choked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Trust me we know that and Harry knows that, he really does know what he's doing" James sighed.

Lily nodded once more and watched as Harry reached the door to the Great Hall and followed him out, needing to speak with the boy.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry exited the hall and instantly felt himself forcefully turned around and faced by a confused looking Bellatrix Black.

"I just want to know why" She stated. "I've tried to figure it out but nothing I can come up with explains why you would do what you are for us".

Harry sighed and dragged his hand through his hair.

He could hardly explain exactly why he was doing it, he would sound completely insane but he decided that he wouldn't completely lie to the girl.

"What do you think your life would be like with Rudolphus as a husband?" he asked.

Bellatrix frowned distastefully and shook her head.

"Not good" She admitted.

"It would be worse than you think" Harry returned. "You know as well as I do who the Lestrange's are supporting and yes, Rudolphus is a complete moron but Riddle isn't, it would be him you are obeying and not the man you would be married to" he explained knowingly.

Bellatrix's eyes widened in realisation.

"You see my point then" Harry sighed. "If you want to support him then that should be your choice, it doesn't matter to me either way but you are a beautiful and intelligent witch, you are better than that".

Bellatrix blushed at the praise but hid it well.

"But if you or your sisters were married to them then that choice would be taken from you and you would be torturing and murdering people in your spare time" he added seriously. "The blood that flows through peoples veins mean nothing to me, we are all witches and wizards and that's all that matters but none of that matters to Riddle, he just wants power and he will get it if we allow it".

Bellatrix nodded her understanding and sighed.

"Thank you" she whispered. "I don't even know how I can make it up to you".

"You really want to make it up to me?" Harry asked.

"I have to" Bellatrix answered flatly.

Harry shook his head.

"You don't, but there is something you can do for me" he informed her, taking a towards her to close the gap between them.

Bellatrix swallowed nervously.

"What is it?" she asked, her mouth feeling very dry all of a sudden.

Harry took a second to give a conspiring glance around before speaking once more.

"Well treacle tart is kind of my favourite, but your cousin is a greedy git, if you could bring me some once in a while then call it even" he offered with a smirk.

Bellatrix shook her head in disbelief but smiled nonetheless.

"You really are a prat" she spoke with an uncharacteristic giggle. "But if that's what you want then fine".

Harry grinned triumphantly.

"You'll have to keep Sirius away too, he is really persistent" he warned. "And you should definitely smile more, it suits you, it makes you less terrifying".

Bellatrix shook her head.

"What would people think if they saw me smiling?" she questioned in mock horror.

"I dunno, maybe that you are approachable" Harry shrugged.

"We can't have that now can we" Bellatrix sighed.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right" Harry conceded with a chuckle.

"Harry?" a worried voice interrupted the duo.

Harry turned to see a very emotional Lily staring at him worriedly but before he could speak, she threw herself in his arms and began to sob.

"Why?" she questioned simply.

Harry swallowed back a little emotion at seeing his mother way and shook his head.

"He's doing it for me and my sisters" Bellatrix answered.

Lily turned and glared at the girl in complete disbelief.

"I don't understand" she stated flatly. "Your brother said it was family stuff".

"My mother is a Black and I had to do something" Harry sighed. "Her and her sisters were being forced into a marriage contract with really bad people and I was the only that could help".

"But you could die" Lily retorted bluntly.

"I'll be fine" Harry assured her.

"You don't know that" Lily replied heatedly. "I don't want you to die".

"Lily, I will be fine just trust me, please" he pleaded.

"I don't like it" the redhead choked as she buried her head in his chest.

"I should go" Bellatrix cut in, clearly feeling awkward. "Good Luck" she added before turning away feeling dejected and a little upset.

' _Why did I even bother'_ she sighed inwardly, feeling another stab of sadness.

After managing to calm Lily down and repeatedly having to ensure the girl he would be fine, Harry managed to make his way to the dormitory and begin making his arrangements, just in case things did not go his way, though he was very confident that he would decimate Dolohov.

It was around 3pm that he made his way to the charms classroom to meet with Professor Flitwick as requested.

He knocked on the door and was bid to enter immediately upon doing so.

"Mr. Potter" Flitwick greeted him with a nod. "I just wanted to have a short discussion with you about your duel and maybe test you a little if I may? I was a duelist myself and have crossed wands with Dolohov on a couple of occasions".

"Of course Professor" Harry agreed.

He was confident in his abilities but an extra insight into the man he would be facing would be foolish to decline.

"Dolohov is a very gifted duelist as you can imagine, he is a world champion after all' the diminutive man began. "His strength lies mostly in his curses but he relies on power too much, I just wanted to see the kind of duelist you yourself are and offer you some pointers if need be" he finished.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"OK, so how about a little practice duel, nothing too dangerous of course" Flitwick offered, drawing his wand.

Harry smirked and nodded before closing his eyes, finishing with a deep breath.

Flitwick's own widened as the teen opened his and he could see them glowing a bright green, his hair dancing slightly as his magic coursed through him.

 _(BREAK)_

It was around an hour later that Professor Flitwick left the classroom, completely dumbfounded by what he had seen, he had even had to have a shot of firewhisky to calm himself.

He made his way to Dumbledore's office lost in thought, too many thoughts for a single one to be coherent and knocked on the door after the gargoyle had allowed him entrance.

"Enter" the voice of the headmaster sounded simply.

Flitwick pushed the door open to find every member of staff waiting for him to arrive before beginning.

"Are you alright Filius?" McGonagall asked worriedly, seeing the usually bouncy professor appearing rather pale and subdued.

Flitwick shook himself from his thoughts and shrugged, not knowing what else to do.

"How was your meeting with Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore inquired. "I assume you wanted to give him some tips".

"There's very little I can do for the boy" Flitwick stated, shaking his head.

"Oh dear" McGonagall sighed.

"The boy is phenomenal" the charms master added in a whisper.

"What do you mean Filius?" Slughorn asked.

"I've never seen anything like it, the boy knows spells and magic I haven't ever witnessed let alone heard of" he explained, completely shocked. "He's so powerful and so fast, he wasn't even out of breath".

"He's that good?" Mortlake demanded to know.

"He disarmed me 6 times and I couldn't even land a thing on him" Flitwick continued. "I daresay he would be a match for yourself Albus".

Dumbledore nodded, clearly relieved.

"Surely you're exaggerating" Mortlake muttered.

"I assure you I am not, the young man is a prodigy and he uses everything; charms, curses and transfiguration better than any duelist, yet he clearly is not one, he does not stand or cast like one, he fights, he doesn't duel" he finished.

"Where would a sixteen year old learn magic like that?" McGonagall questioned with a frown.

"He's had the best training and tuition, there's no doubt about it, I just don't know why" Flitwick mused aloud.

"Mr. Potter is a very dedicated wizard, I believe that he simply wants to be the best he can be" Dumbledore replied.

"He's dedicated himself to fighting, but to what end? I imagine he knows much more than I saw also, we dueled with non-lethal spells and he is going into a death match tomorrow, he must have knowledge of darker spells".

"He has a better knowledge of dark magic than anyone I have ever taught, perhaps even myself" Mortlake grudgingly admitted. "He definitely knows his stuff" h added confidently.

"Why is he dueling Dolohov though? The last I heard he was supporting the madman" Slughorn broke in.

"Do you think he has something to do with it?" McGonagall cut in worriedly.

"It's a possibility" Dumbledore conceded, fully aware of Harry's intentions.

"I imagine young Mr. Potter would give him a run for his money" Flitwick surmised. "You don't think that is his intention, he clearly came back here for a reason" he continued urgently.

"Perhaps it is" Dumbledore answered dismissively. "But for the time being we should just be relieved that he will probably be ok tomorrow" he concluded.

"I think Antonin is in real trouble" Flitwick returned gravely. "The boy will slaughter him, I would put a lot of galleons on it".

Dumbledore sighed internally.

He knew that this was coming but he had not expected it so soon.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry woke the next morning, simply ready. He had spent the previous evening preparing himself mentally to fight, working on his occlumency to clear his mind as best he could and practicing allowing his magic to flow as he would need it to.

From his own experience he knew that Dolohov was a powerful wizard, as confirmed by Flitwick himself and remembered that he was one of the few Death Eaters that had fired fatal curses at himself and his friends, almost killing Hermione in the process, a thought that filled him with a fury that he had up until now been swallowing down.

Not anymore.

He allowed his anger to permeate within him as he played the night in the Department of Mysteries over and over again in his mind until he felt that the anger was at the point of boiling over.

He watched as Hermione collapsed, completely unmoving, after his curse had hit her. He watched as Sirius disappeared through the veil and he watched as the older Bellatrix goaded him and mocked him over the death of the only man willing to share his home with the teen, the only person to show him genuine love.

He stood and began his final preparations of the day.

He showered quickly, returned to his room where he dressed in some dark grey muggle tracksuit bottoms, a plain black t-shirt and trainers and exited the tower, needing to be alone for a while before the anger he had built up spilled over prematurely in his eagerness to destroy his opponent.

He left the castle and began walking through the icy grounds, the crisp weather doing nothing to cool the burning rage he was feeling as he began circling the lake, stewing in all of the emotion he had been concealing.

By the time he was making his way back to the school to get some much needed breakfast, he could feel his magic pulsing through every part of him, just itching to be unleashed, so much so that he was internally vibrating in anticipation.

He entered the Great Hall and ignored the pointing and whispering as he took his usual seat amongst the rest of the Marauders who were all clearly very nervous.

"Harry, your eyes are glowing" James pointed out with a whisper.

"I can't help it" Harry sighed, not realising that they were glowing at all.

"Are you ready?" Sirius questioned worriedly.

Harry just nodded and began piling his plate with scrambled eggs and toast.

The rest of the group realised that he was not in a talking mood and simply allowed him to eat in peace, shooting glares at those staring at their friend.

As soon as he finished, Harry stood, ready to leave and get it over with, noticing that the whispering had become much more prevalent.

"Harry" James said weakly as he too stood. "Just come back, please" he pleaded.

Harry smiled at the boy and swallowed back a little emotion at the care he was being shown.

He nodded before speaking.

"I'm not worried but I have taken measures just in case something goes wrong" he informed the boy. "My bed curtains have been charmed shut and only I can open them, but the spell will fail if I die, there's a letter in there for you if that happens" he explained.

James shook his head.

"I don't want a letter" he stated emotionally.

"Then let's just hope everything goes to plan" Harry returned, not wanting to debate the inevitable confrontation.

James sighed and nodded before pulling the other boy into a tight hug.

"Just do whatever you have to and come back" he whispered sternly.

Harry nodded and extracted himself from James only to be engulfed by the other three Marauders at once.

"Get off me you gits" he chuckled.

"No" Sirius responded flatly.

"Good luck Harry, just, good luck" Remus choked.

Harry wrapped his arm around the boy.

"We still have a lot of the forest to explore Moony, I won't be going anywhere until we have done that" Harry promised.

Remus snorted and shook his head amusedly.

"I know you'll win Harry" Peter piped up. "I don't think anyone could beat you" he added confidently.

"Well Wormtail, I didn't expect you to be the most confident in this" Harry replied, feeling a little surprised.

"I believe in my friends, my brothers" Peter returned firmly, standing proudly and looking upon the other four with pure fondness.

"With that much loyalty Wormy you should be a bloody Puff" Sirius declared.

"As long as I've got you guys I wouldn't care what house I was in" Peter announced seriously.

Harry smiled at the boy.

' _There's definitely something different about him'_ he thought just as proudly as Peter was stood.

"Time to go" he said simply, noticing that his moment of departure had come.

At Harry's declaration Peter picked up his goblet and began banging it rhythmically on the Gryffindor table, being joined by the rest of the group a moment later. Soon enough most of the students and teachers in the hall were mimicking the action, creating a deafening noise as people began cheering and shouting last minute words of encouragement in his direction.

Harry nodded his gratitude and left the castle once more, only this time to the sound of an impromptu orchestra leading his march into battle.

 _(BREAK)_

Charlus and Dorea had just sat down to breakfast when they were interrupted by a snowy white owl entering the kitchen, clutching a note for the duo.

Charlus took the missive and gently scratched Hedwig's head, offering her some bacon before opening the envelope and reading the contents.

"Oh bollocks" he cursed.

"What is it? Dorea asked nervously.

She had been very on edge since Harry had accepted the duel with Dolohov.

Charlus swallowed.

"It's today" Charlus answered, giving a rueful shake of his head.

"Today?" Dorea asked urgently.

Charlus nodded.

"Come on, let's get ready and head to the school, he will go straight back there" he sighed.

Dorea nodded dumbly and allowed herself to be led to the bedroom by her husband, her thoughts with the green eyed boy and what he faced.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry arrived at the given location, an abandoned barn in the county of Norfolk, and immediately began casting detection charms to ensure that Malfoy and his cohorts had kept to their word; that it would only be himself and Dolohov present for the duel.

After he was satisfied that there was only one other person in the barn and surrounding area, he steeled himself and entered the building.

Immediately he felt a spell sailing towards him and he nimbly sidestepped it, causing it to smash into the wooden door he had just come through, obliterating it instantly.

Instead of the goading he had come to expect from Death Eaters, Dolohov again launched another curse at the teen which Harry simply batted aside, giving him his first glimpse of the man.

Something was wrong and Harry knew it.

The man in front of him was indeed Antonin Dolohov but there was several things that had alarm bells ringing in the younger man's mind.

Firstly, Dolohov's eyes were bright red and his face was twisted in a look of pure fury and hatred.

The next thing that caught his notice was that the barn had already been largely dismantled by offensive magic, clearly his opponent had been very impatient while waiting for him.

Then it hit him as he saw the man's eyes return to normal before once again flaring up red.

' _Potions, they've dosed him with potions'_ he growled inwardly. _'Draught of Rage, no doubt, but what else?'_

He was again forced to dodge as Dolohov screamed in fury and began firing spell after spell at him ion quick succession, each one more powerful than the one that preceded it.

The shock that Harry was feeling gave way to his own built up rage as he quickly returned fire and cheered internally as he caught the man in the face with a Bonebreaker, collapsing most of the bones.

He celebrated too soon however.

Instead of spilling into a broken heap on the ground, unable to continue, the man simply gurgled out a roar of rage, spewing a large amount of blood from what used to be his mouth and did not even deviate from his casting, even for a second.

In his moment of laxity Harry was once again surprised and paid the price. A cutting curse grazed his cheek, opening a deep wound and a Bonebreaker of Dolohov's caught his off shoulder, sending him several feet back from the force.

Harry growled in annoyance at himself for being hit and quickly resumed his defensive work, simply batting the spells aside, destroying more and more of the structure, which was rapidly showing signs of falling in on itself.

He knew he had to act quickly or he would be trapped or crushed by the large wooden beams that the barn had been constructed from.

He wandlessly summoned a pile of large, splintered pieces of wood that had been damaged and waited for the right moment to strike.

Dolohov by now was more furious than imaginable and was completely focused on blasting the boy in front of him to smithereens, not thinking of having to defend himself through the red haze he was looking through as he continued his onslaught.

"Damn" Harry cursed himself as he raised a large silver dome shield around himself.

In his shock and surprise he had not even focused his magic correctly as Charlus had taught him. Clearly he had not quite managed to master it enough for it to be completely instinctual as yet.

He took a breath with in his shield and closed his eyes, allowing his magic to flow as he did so, immediately noticing that everything felt easier to deal with in his calmer state.

The spells that Dolohov was firing felt slower now, giving him more time to react and attempt an attack of his own.

Deciding that he had taken enough time, he dropped his shield and banished the pile of beams he had summoned towards the other man, again batting away the curses headed his way in plenty of time.

The wood whistled through the air before three of the thicker pieces embedded themselves into the man with sickening thuds.

Again, Harry was very surprised that the man could absorb such trauma as he continued firing curses, though he had slowed down noticeably in his efforts. He was now however firing only Blasting Curses, and most were completely off target as the began disintegrating the building they were stood in.

Harry knew there was little he could do as the curses were not just being aimed at himself anymore and the building was now on the brink of collapse.

Sighing, he did the only thing he could in the moment and braced himself as he cast a purple shield around the man.

Dolohov paid no attention to the shield as he fired off another Blasting curse, which simply rebounded off the inside of the shield and smashed into him causing one final almighty explosion as the man was reduced to nothing more than a red mist with a few random body parts left in it's wake.

This was not the only effect, much to Harry's dismay.

The shield also exploded under the strain of the rebounded curse and sent Harry himself flying through the air and through one of the already weakened walls to the outside, covering him in the remains of his opponent in mid flight.

Harry groaned as he laid on the floor and attempted to take stock of himself to ensure that he was not seriously injured.

He was aware of the deep cut and broken shoulder he had suffered and noticed he had a very large slither of wood protruding from the smashed appendage now, but other than that he was mostly unharmed.

He grimaced as he sat up and saw that the barn was now nothing more than a pile of destroyed wood, fit for nothing but burning.

He sighed and gritted his teeth as he got up to his feet and noticed a pile of glass vials a short distance away with large chains next to them.

He gave his limp and useless arm a distasteful look as he made his way over, conjuring a bandage and wrapping the limb as best he could, knowing he needed to get it looked at as soon as possible. But first he needed to know what Dolohov had been given prior to their fight.

He knew he had been very mislead and uninformed. He had expected a battle with a purposeful and calculative duelist who would pick his spells carefully and movements he made controlled and graceful.

He had however fought someone of the opposite to what he had anticipated. The man was feral, erratic and had no semblance of control or decorum in his approach. He was completely intent on murdering Harry and did not even consider defending himself, something that Harry had not prepared for.

"Always expect anything" he scolded himself for his certainty as he picked up the first vial and sniffed the inside warily.

"Draught of Rage" he surmised knowingly.

Out of the six containers he managed to identify two more of the solutions; A Strengthening Solution and an Endurance Elixir.

"That's why the bastard didn't tire" he growled.

He knew that the potions were illegal in sanctioned duels, but this hadn't been. He chided himself once more for not thinking of it in the first place and ensuring the man would be advantage free from any type of influence that would give him an edge.

' _They must have kept him bound'_ he concluded as he looked upon the thick iron manacles that had been left behind.

He winced as his shoulder throbbed once more, reminding him that he need to get some medical attention. He was tempted to remove the splinter himself and heal the wounds but he was already feeling dizzy and did not want to risk passing out here and possibly bleeding to death.

He spared one final glance at what remained of the barn in which the duo had fought in before disapparating away, back to the gates of Hogwarts.

 _(BREAK)_

James and the rest of the Marauders had spent the morning waiting in the Great Hall for Harry to return, all of them refusing to attend their lessons until they knew that he was ok. Dumbledore had permitted them to do so, knowing that none of the boys would be able to concentrate in their lessons.

The group had been joined by both Charlus and Dorea shortly after breakfast had finished and they all sat mostly in silence waiting for some news on the outcome of the duel.

As lunch time arrived the nervousness they felt grew to an unbearable level as they watched the rest of the students and staff arrive to eat their next meal of the day.

"Shouldn't it be over by now?" Sirius questioned impatiently, his nerves getting the better of him.

Charlus shook his head worriedly.

"Duels can last for hours and with two really skilled wizards like Harry and Dolohov, we could be here a while" he explained.

It was only a few moments later that the attention of the room was focused on the door as Harry Potter entered, cradling his arm and covered in an obscene amount of blood.

"Harry" Dorea yelped and immediately made her way over to the boy.

"I'm ok" Harry assured the distraught woman, holding his hand up to prevent her from hugging him. "Just not the fight I was expecting" he sighed.

The school matron rushed over to him and began running diagnostics as the students and staff of the school looked on in horror at the appearance of the boy.

"What happened Son?" Charlus asked.

Harry shook his head and dragged his hand through his matted hair.

"He was dosed" he answered simply.

"With what?" Charlus demanded angrily.

"There were six vials I found after the fight, I only recognised three of them" Harry explained. "Draught of Rage, Strengthening Solution and Endurance Elixir" he listed.

"Bastards" Charlus hissed. "I'll have those shits for this" he vowed.

"Mr. Potter, I need you to come with me immediately, the wounds are not serious at present, but they are rapidly getting worse and you are risking a very severe infection" the matron cut in gravely.

Harry nodded and allowed himself to be led from the room by the woman with Charlus, Dorea and the Marauders in tow, the group shortly being joined by Lily with Bellatrix trailing slowly behind them, a deep look of worry marring her features.

"I'm sorry Miss Evans, but you will have to wait outside for now, I don't want too many people crowding him" the matron explained as they reached the hospital wing. "And you four had better keep your distance also" she warned the Marauders.

"I'm not leaving" James retorted hotly.

"Neither are we" Remus growled defiantly.

The matron sighed.

"You will have to stay back while I treat him" she informed them.

"As long as we can be in there with him we don't care" Remus declared.

The matron nodded reluctantly and let the four boys pass.

"I'll let you know how he is as soon as possible" James promised Lily as he entered the room.

"Thank you" the redhead returned gratefully before making her way to the common room, worrying about the condition of the boy, both mentally and physically.

Bellatrix had heard the refusal for Evans being able to enter and she too made her way to her own common room, intending on visiting Harry later, though she did not understand why she felt the need to.

 _(BREAK)_

It was a few hours later that Harry was bidding farewell to those gathered around him after being informed that he would be spending the night in the hospital wing and they were satisfied that he would make a full recovery.

"I think Lily will be coming to see you soon" James explained. "She tried to come in with us but she wasn't allowed".

Harry just nodded.

"We will come back first thing in the morning" Peter promised.

"And you will write to us so we know that you are fine" Dorea added firmly.

Harry just smiled and shook his head.

"Yes Mum" he sighed playfully.

Dorea scowled at the boy and pulled him into a gentle hug before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek and leaving with the others.

Harry let out a deep breath and sunk back into his bed, thinking about the day he had had.

"Is it ok if I come in?" a voice sounded, breaking his reverie.

Harry smiled as he saw a very worried looking Lily poking her head through the door and gestured for her to join him.

"How are you feeling?" She asked timidly.

"I'm honestly ok, I've had much worse" he assured the girl.

Lily nodded and sighed.

"How do you feel about having kill?" She questioned further.

Harry shrugged.

"It had to be done, it was the only way and I had to, I didn't have a choice" he pointed out.

"I know" Lily conceded unhappily. "It's just that you shouldn't of had to, you're a good person Harry".

Harry smiled and took her hand gently.

"It's the good people that have to get their hands dirty" he explained. "You know as well as I do what's going on out there and it's up to those that are capable to put a stop to it and look out for those who can't".

Lily nodded her understanding.

"It shouldn't be like that though, we have auror's who have that job" she tried.

"But they don't have the power to do what needs to be done right now and won't until it's too late" he replied knowingly.

"From what I know about the Ministry, you're probably right" Lily agreed reluctantly. "But surely there are others doing something about it".

"I imagine so" Harry mused aloud, wondering about the state of the order at this time. "But I think the wizarding world needs all of the help it can get".

"That's the reason you came here isn't it?" Lily inquired, clearly realising something. "Your family is really old and powerful, safer than most others, you didn't have to come home did you?".

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"I couldn't just stay where I was and let things play out, I had to do something" he responded truthfully. "Even I could see that things are going to get really bad, really quickly".

Lily let out a deep breath before nodding.

"Just please be careful" She pleaded. "I don't know why, but I worry about you so much, even though I know you are the most able wizard I have ever met, there's just something about you I can't work out" she sighed.

Harry swallowed deeply.

"I will be" he promised.

Lily pulled him into a hug and sighed once more, this time in contentment.

"I was so relieved that you came back" she whispered. "I don't know what I would do without you know".

The pair was interrupted by someone clearing their throat at the door and Harry spotted a tentative Bellatrix staring at the pair with a hint of distaste.

"I hope I'm not intruding" she said half genuinely.

Harry shook his head.

"No, it's ok" he returned and beckoned for her to join them, feeling a little overwhelmed at the sentiment the other girl had been showing.

Not that he didn't appreciate it, it just made him feel nervous that she felt a connection with him in some form and was not ready in any way to even broach the subject with her, yet.

"I think I'm going to go now" Lily whispered, shooting a glare at the other girl.

She did not understand why Bellatrix had come. She knew that Harry had done what he did for her and her family but that should have been it. For some unfathomable reason she did not like the girl being around Harry. It was not that she was jealous, she just didn't like it and found that she did not like Bellatrix by proxy, even though she had never had a conversation with the girl.

Feeling very confused and conflicted she bade her goodbye to Harry and took her leave, pondering the two people she had left behind, wondering why their association bothered her so much.

"So you lived then" Bellatrix commented casually, though she was internally glad to see him as well as he was.

"Don't sound too disappointed will you" Harry answered with a chuckle.

"So, you and Evans?" Bellatrix asked with a raised eyebrow, chiding herself for asking such a question.

Harry frowned and choked before shaking his head at what Bellatrix was implying.

"No" he stated firmly, feeling sickened by the very thought. "We are just friends, it's my brother who's interested in her" he explained.

Bellatrix felt an unexpected wave of relief and hope course through her before she shook it away.

"Anyway, I brought you this" she replied, reaching into her robes and removing something wrapped in napkins. "I figured that you wouldn't get much food here" she shrugged as she handed him the bundle.

Harry unwrapped it to reveal a large slice of treacle tart and smirked.

"Well Miss Black, you seem to be a pro at this, have you concealed contraband in your robes before, it definitely seems like you have" he returned.

Bellatrix adopted a look of mock outrage before responding.

"You should be damn grateful that I would allow that sticky thing so close to my body" she stated. "And honoured that that it has been I might add".

Harry chuckled amusedly.

"I am very grateful, thank you" he assured her. "But you sound a lot like Sirius when you speak so highly of yourself" he added with a grin.

Bellatrix growled and narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you weren't already in here I would curse you for that" she declared warningly. "But I guess I can let it pass, we can put it down to your delirium, just this once" she allowed with a playful sigh.

"That's very generous of you" Harry quipped. "I don't want to be injured anymore than I am".

The two sat in a companionable silence for some time before Bellatrix stood.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok" she explained. "But thank you, you saved my sisters and myself from merlin knows what, I really do appreciate it" she added genuinely.

"Well, if you keep me fed with this then I will happily do it again" Harry replied with a smile.

Bellatrix shook her head.

"As long as I don't have to keep shoving it in my robes then I can do that" she agreed. "You're so easily pleased, just give you some dessert and you are happy to save the world" she sighed as she exited the room.

Harry chuckled once more before devouring the treacle tart and settling in for a much needed sleep.

 _(BREAK)_

He was awoken the next morning by the loud arrival of the rest of the Marauders as they burst into the room, James holding a large platter of breakfast.

"Will you keep the noise down" the matron hissed. "I have patients trying to sleep and you will dispose of that food immediately" she commanded.

"I think not dear Matron" Sirius returned with a bow. "We have reason to believe that you will feed our comrade porridge and that we cannot allow to happen" he declared with a look of distaste at the thought of Harry receiving a mediocre breakfast.

"We have come to feed him properly, and properly fed he shall be" James proclaimed. "We will not allow you to starve him of his much needed nourishment wench" he added sternly.

"Wench is it?" the woman questioned dangerously.

"My apologies" James returned. "I did not mean to insult you, I simply got carried away in my rant" he added apologetically, giving the woman a bow.

"We just want to have breakfast with Harry" Remus sighed, shaking his head in frustration at his friends.

"Ok" the matron agreed reluctantly. "But if you over stimulate him before I have checked him over there will be trouble" she warned.

"Madame, I assure you that neither myself or my fellow friends here have a desire to ever stimulate my brother, such accusations are despicable" James returned disgustedly.

The matron just growled and walked away, clearly having enough of the troublesome teens.

"Ahh, the hero doth wake" Sirius exclaimed, seeing that Harry was indeed awake.

"Just shut up" Harry pleaded, grimacing at the ache he felt in his shoulder.

"How are you Harry?" Remus asked worriedly.

Harry gave the boy a smile.

"My arm aches a little but I'm ok" he assured the werewolf. "Hungry though" he added spying the large pile of food they had brought with them.

The group tucked into the food and waited for the matron to return to check Harry over so that he could hopefully leave with them.

It was not the matron that interrupted their meal however, it was someone that none of them expected to see.

Arcturus Black entered the hospital wing and glared at the four boys sat around Potter's bed.

James and Sirius looked very nervous indeed while the other two were clearly confused.

"Get out" he instructed simply.

James and Sirius fled the room as quickly as possible while the other two followed them out at a slower pace, shooting Harry a questioning look.

"I'll catch up" he promised them.

The two followed the others, leaving Harry alone with the patriarch of the Black family.

"Your money" Arcturus stated, removing a shrunken trunk from his pocket.

Harry nodded gratefully but said nothing.

"I considered adding more gold to it, but knowing the type of person you are I imagine you would have returned it" Arcturus deduced as he took a seat.

"More than likely" Harry agreed.

"I thought as much" the older man observed. "Usually I would find myself feeling very burdened being in the debt of another, but with you it seems to not bother me at all".

"Because you're not in my debt, I did what I did because it was the right thing to do, not for you or your family to owe me anything" Harry pointed out.

Arcturus nodded and smirked.

"You may not see it as a debt, but I do" he revealed. "I've been wracking my brain and thinking of how I can make it up to you and the answer is simple, I can't" he sighed.

Harry frowned slightly but waited for the man to continue.

"You saved my family how it is now and most of the next generation" Arcturus began again, deathly serious. "They are my only Granddaughters and you gave them back a freedom that should never have been taken from them" he continued. "I only have two things in the world that I can give you that will begin to atone for that" he declared genuinely.

Harry swallowed at how grave the conversation had begun.

"I think I know why you came back now" Arcturus deduced. "And I can help you" he added.

He reached into a pocket and removed a small leather book which he enlarged, turning it into a large tome.

"Firstly, this is the knowledge of the Black family magic" he explained. "You have Black blood in you somewhere so you can learn it, use it well" he instructed as he placed the book on the bedside table. "Of course, you must keep it to yourself" Arcturus added firmly.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"Secondly and most importantly, I offer you this" Arcturus spoke again offering the teen his hand which Harry accepted.

The pair shook hands and Arcturus nodded before continuing.

"That was not a handshake of appreciation, but a handshake of equality" he informed him. "One of brotherhood and one of a promise" he elaborated. "That means that you now have my word that I will help you in any way that you need in what it is you face" he finished.

Harry nodded.

"Thank you Lord Black" he intoned gratefully.

Arcturus smiled.

"We are equals now" he reminded the teen. "You do not bow to me and you may call me Arcturus, you have earned that right" he praised.

"I appreciate it all Arcturus" Harry replied sincerely.

Arcturus nodded and grinned.

"Get well soon" he offered. "Until next time, Harry" he bade the teen farewell.

Harry watched as the man left the room feeling completely surprised by what had just occurred.

He didn't know all that much about Arcturus Black, but he knew that he had just made a very powerful ally for sure.

 **A/N**

 **Another one down an it is now getting very interesting indeed, I won't say anymore than that.**

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	7. And So It Begins

**A/N**

 **It has been a while and for that I apologise. Life has been fairly difficult recently for several reasons and in all honesty I had to take a break. Since September I have written close to 500,000 words on fanfiction and it was getting to a point where I was going to burn myself out if I didn't stop for a while. I have barely even read anything o the site either, but to be frankly honest, there seems little worth reading anymore so any suggestions you have would be amazing, you can get a good idea of the things I like from my profile page. Anyway, I would like to thank all of those that messaged and asked about my well being etc., it is much appreciated and I promise that you will not be waiting 6 weeks for another update.**

Chapter 7: And So It Begins

Tom Marvolo Riddle looked upon his subordinates impassively, though he was completely seething within. The fools had had cost him his best wand in their most recent blunder and now he was completely out of patience with them all, now someone had to be punished, they had to learn that incompetence on such a level would not be tolerated.

He simply could not understand how things could have gone so wrong. He had his suspicions of course, but he wanted to hear the explanation for himself. He needed to know how something that could be considered a minor problem had escalated into what had come to pass.

 _FLASHBACK_

After apparating away from Grimmauld Place, the Dark Lord entered the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade to wait for the other three men to conclude their business with the Black family; the three young girls would be a welcome addition to his ranks and the funds his cause would receive because of the arrangement even more so.

He ordered a large glass of red Rioja, a drink he had become very fond of in times of relaxation, and made his way to a private room that he had requested earlier in the day, where he sat and sipped the full bodied wine.

It was around thirty minutes later that he heard the loud voices of his associate in the hallway and immediately noted the dissatisfied look each wore as they entered the room. Clearly all three me were rather furious.

"Am I to assume that your negotiations did not end favourably" he inquired.

"You could say that" Randolph spat.

Seeing that Lestrange was too angry to be coherent, Riddle looked towards Abraxus Malfoy, imploring him to explain.

"It seems that the young Mr. Potter has taken it upon himself to intervene" the blonde man drawled distastefully.

The Dark Lord took another sip of his drink before gently placing the glass on the table and narrowed his eyes, thinking deeply.

"The little bastard will die for this, Dolohov will see to it" Lestrange declared angrily.

"Mr. Lestrange, I would not underestimate Mr. Potter, there's something about the boy that is rather unsettling" Voldemort warned.

"He's an interfering little prick" Yaxley concluded bitterly.

"But he is also very talented and powerful, that I have no doubt of" Voldemort mused aloud.

"He's a bloody sixteen year old kid" Yaxley pointed out.

"And yet he has some of the best occlumency skills I have come across" Voldemort stated knowingly. "If he has put that much effort into an obscure branch of magic then imagine how much effort he has put in with his wand" he implored. "He has already proven himself beyond both of your sons and you have been tutoring them since they could walk" he added, staring at Randolph with a stern expression.

The man simply growled and trembled with repressed rage.

"Go and get some air" Voldemort instructed the man. "Antonin will be here shortly, bring him to me".

Randolph released a deep breath of air and nodded his compliance before leaving the room.

"Abraxus, I want you to use every contact you can and learn everything you can about the boy, I want to know if he is a possible ally for us, he would be very useful to us" the Dark Lord commanded.

Abraxus frowned before speaking.

"But surely my efforts would be fruitless if Antonin is going to kill the boy" he observed.

"As I said, he is not to be underestimated, we must prepare for every eventuality" Voldemort returned.

"But Antonin is a world champion duelist, the boy has no chance against him" Malfoy tried, not keen to attempt to go through the Potter files.

He knew that if Charlus found out then he was dead, no questions asked. The man took his family privacy very seriously indeed and any effort into snooping would be treated with complete and extreme prejudice.

"Just do it Abraxus" Voldemort commanded once more, his voice adopting a dangerous undertone.

Malfoy swallowed deeply and nodded. He knew he no longer had a choice in the matter.

It was a few short moments later that Randolph returned with another man in tow.

The young Antonin Dolohov was a tall and broad man with short brown hair and blue eyes that exuded confidence, mirroring the way he carried himself.

"Mr. Gaunt" he greeted the Dark Lord with a smile and offered the man his hand.

"Antonin" Voldemort greeted him warmly.

Tom Riddle had grown very fond of the young duelist and saw a lot of potential in him. In many ways he reminded him of himself in his more youthful years; strong, ambitious and passionate about what he did, though their paths had certainly been different.

Antonin had been raised in a pureblood home with a loving and encouraging family. He had all the advantages that a young and orphaned Tom did not, but he could not hold that against the man.

"Randolph just informed me that someone managed to interfere in your dealings with the Lord Black" Dolohov stated simply. "So who is it that I get to fight?" he asked, clearly eager to put his skills to the test.

He knew that anyone representing the Black family would be a capable wizard.

"Potter" Lestrange growled.

"I thought the contract stated that Potter couldn't do it" Dolohov replied worriedly.

He had heard stories of Charlus Potter and his prowess with a wand and he was not so keen on facing the man yet, he knew that he could beat him in a duel but not a fight to the death.

"Not Charlus" Malfoy cut in. "His son Harry".

Dolohov frowned and shook his head. He knew that anyone with the name Potter would be more than gifted with a wand but he had never heard the name Harry. He had heard of the eldest son James but never even a whisper of the other.

"Harry?" he questioned confusedly.

"The other ones twin" Yaxley pointed out.

Dolohov sputtered.

"But he must be a kid, I won't kill a kid" he stated sternly.

Although Antonin was not the most moral person when it came to dueling he could not bring himself to murder a child. His reputation was already sketchy at best and he did not want to be known as a child killer, there was very little that was worse in the wizarding world.

"He's the one who put the money up and accepted the duel" Malfoy explained.

Dolohov shook his head once more.

"I won't do it, not a child" he responded seriously.

Yaxley, Malfoy and Lestrange looked towards the Dark Lord imploringly but he just shrugged, this was not his concern after all.

"But you agreed" Lestrange reminded him heatedly.

"That was before it was a boy" Dolohov returned angrily. "It's not happening" he declared and stormed from the room.

"What do we do now?" Yaxley asked, clearly concerned by their predicament.

"I'll kill the bastard" Lestrange offered.

"Potter has already proven that your magic will not work against him on several occasions" Malfoy drawled. "The last thing your family reputation needs is for your name to be embarrassed once more by a Potter".

Lestrange gaped and began stuttering incoherently.

"It is a problem for the three of you to solve" Voldemort broke in. "I'm sure between the three of you, you can come up with something, but for now I will take my leave, I have other things to attend to" he explained before exiting the room, thinking deeply about the events of the day and hoping that the other men were actually capable of handling the situation.

He was very interested to hear the outcome of the duel and was sure that whoever they chose to represent them would be killed now that Dolohov had refused to fight. There was something about the Potter boy that had him intrigued, he would of course need to be watched and recruited if possible. A boy of such talent was a rarity after all.

 _(BREAK)_

It was a week later that found Abraxus Malfoy knocking on the front door of Antonin Dolohov, releasing a deep sigh as he waited for the man to answer.

He was not pleased that himself and his associates were resorting to this measure, but after much deliberation, this was the best they could come up with to save their reputations.

The door opened to reveal the duelist who immediately narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of his visitor.

"I already told you I won't do it Abraxus" Dolohov reminded him unnecessarily.

Malfoy held up his hands in a peaceful gesture before responding.

"I respect that Antonin, that is not why I am here, I wanted to apologise" he explained as he drew an expensive bottle of firewhiskey from his pocket.

Dolohov eyed the bottle warily before nodding and allowing the man to enter his home.

"Have you found someone else to fight?" he inquired as they both took a seat in the living room.

Malfoy sighed and shook his head.

"It is something we are still working on, but we are confident we have found the right man" he replied confidently.

Dolohov simply nodded as he summoned a couple of glasses from a nearby cabinet and allowed Abraxus to pour them both a drink.

He waited for the other man to sip his first, just to be sure that it was not tinted in any way. Although they were friends, he would not put it past Malfoy to attempt something underhanded.

When he was content that the drink had not been tampered with, he drained his own glass and smacked his lips appreciatively.

He of course could afford such things himself, but could never understand why people would spend so much gold on a commodity such as alcohol, something he didn't often partake in personally.

The two spent a few hours drinking and conversing amiably enough as they worked their way through the bottle that the blonde had brought with him.

Antonin was feeling rather inebriated as he finished his final glass of the liquor and was very much aware of how drunk he had become, yet Malfoy seemed just as sober as when he had entered. The man was evidently much more tolerant to the substance than the duelist.

Before he could ponder his observation any further, Dolohov caught sight of a flash of red light before he knew no more.

"Is he out?" Yaxley questioned worriedly as he removed the invisibility cloak that had been concealing himself and Randolph.

"Indeed" Malfoy drawled as he knocked back the last of his amber liquid before placing the tumbler on the glass with a louder clunk than necessary.

"Are you sure this will work?" Yaxley asked further.

"It will" Malfoy confirmed confidently.

"I don't see why we didn't just use the Imperius curse" Randolph interjected confusedly.

Malfoy shook his head exasperatedly.

"Because Antonin is much more powerful than all of us and would have fought it off with ease" he explained for what seemed the hundredth time.

Lestrange just shrugged.

"We will stay here until we are ready to take him and give him the potions before Potter arrives" Abraxus informed them. "Keep him stunned and for Merlin sake, tie him up" he commanded. "I will send the letter to the boy and will be back within an hour".

The other two men nodded their understanding and again stunned Dolohov before conjuring ropes and binding the man.

The next day was spent ensuring the duelist remained subdued, though they were reluctant to keep stunning him, knowing that it would inhibit him considerably during the fight. They instead kept silencing charms on him and made sure that his ropes were secure at all times.

After the morning of the duel had dawned the three men apparated the still bound Dolohov to the abandoned Norfolk farm that Abraxus had chosen for the fight to take place.

Upon arriving, Malfoy removed five vials of various potions and began inspecting them, nodding his approval once he had done so.

"You still haven't explained the plan" Yaxley reminded him. "And when this is over, you know he will come for us" he added worriedly, pointing to a glaring Dolohov.

Malfoy shook his head and pointed his wand at the duelist.

" _Obliviate"_ he muttered.

Dolohov's expression cleared immediately and his gaze became vacant.

"Antonin will not remember a thing" the blonde stated simply. "He will wake up and assume that he had been drunk".

Yaxley shrugged.

"So what are those potions?" Lestrange questioned curiously.

"This" Malfoy began gesturing to a vial of blue liquid. "Is a Strengthening solution" he informed them. "We also have an Endurance Elixir, a Regeneration Potion and Vampire Essence" he finished, clearly happy with the fluids he had brought.

"And that?" Yaxley inquired, pointing to the final vial which seemed to contain a black smoke.

"Ahh, now this is very special" Malfoy drawled dramatically. "It is known as Death's Breath, a very powerful potion that will bend any man to the will of those that administer it to them" he explained. "It is extremely expensive and the ingredients are very rare indeed, aptly named for it's ability to turn a person in to a living inferi and allow them full use of their magical ability".

"I've never heard of it" Lestrange cut in.

"It is not a well known concoction" Malfoy replied gravely. "It is at great effort and many called in favours that I managed to acquire it, though I very much doubt I could do so again" he admitted with a frown.

"Then let's get them in him, it's almost time" Yaxley pointed out.

The three men forced the five potions into the other man and watched as his demeanour changed from completely calm to rather irritable as the blonde whispered instructions in to his ear.

"I believe that will do it" he declared when he was finished. "Mercutio, are you going to collect him when he is done? I assure you the effects will take a couple of days to wear off" he added comfortingly.

Before the other man could reply their conversation was interrupted by a guttural roar emitting from Dolohov, who was clearly furious and attempting to fight against his binds.

Malfoy immediately noticed the reddening of his eyes and turned angrily towards Randolph.

"What did you do?" he demanded.

"Gave him some Draught of Rage" Randolph shrugged. "It's what I always take before a fight".

Malfoy placed his head in his hands and shook it exasperatedly.

"You moron, Antonin is a bloody duelist, he does not fight angry and uncontrolled like you, he is deliberate and fluid" he shouted furiously.

Randolph just shrugged.

"You stupid bastard" Yaxley yelped, realising what had happened. "You've just turned him into the opposite of what he needs to be".

"Well I didn't know" Randolph returned heatedly.

"You've just fucked this up" Yaxley replied disbelievingly. "He would have been fine but now you've probably got him killed".

Lestrange growled.

"He's fighting a sixteen year old and the little bastard needs punishing" he roared. "He'll be fine" he finished dismissively.

"You had better hope he is you moron" Malfoy warned. "It will be on your head if it goes wrong".

Lestrange just shrugged and glared at the other two men unhappily.

"Get him in the damn barn and let's go, Potter will be here soon" Malfoy commanded, clearly still in a temper.

Lestrange led Dolohov into the barn and removed the chains before exiting quickly and locking the door with a flick of his wand, rolling the other man's to him under the gap after he had done so.

Malfoy and Yaxley eyed the structure warily as it shook under the impact of Dolohov's spells.

"Let's go" the blonde sighed as Lestrange deposited the chains next to the discarded potion vials.

The three men then vanished, hoping and praying that things would go their way.

 _END FLASHBACK_

The Dark Lord listened to the explanation that the men gave him and nodded stiffly, still seething, yet he had much more to think about now.

"Gentlemen" he began neutrally. "Your efforts were commendable".

The three men breathed a sigh of relief.

"However" he continued. "You should have consulted with myself before attempting such a thing and I find myself disappointed at the loss of Antonin, it should not have been done this way" he added casually. "Abraxus, Mercutio" he addressed the two. "Begin planning that of which we discussed, Randolph here will be leading" he instructed, fighting the urge to smile cruelly.

The two men nodded and left quickly, both beginning to feel uncomfortable in the presence of their leader.

Voldemort's expression darkened significantly after they had exited and he began pacing back and forth.

"I am most disappointed in you Randolph, I did not expect such an amateur error on your part" he sighed wistfully.

" _Crucio"_ he roared as he drew his wand as quick as a flash.

Randolph immediately collapsed under the pain of the spell and screamed in agony as every nerve ending burned mercilessly.

"You have much to atone for Randolph" the Dark Lord informed him after he had lifted the spell and glared distastefully at the now whimpering man. "Do not make such a mistake again or I will be much less merciful".

Randolph gasped deeply as he nodded his obedience, shocked at the amount of pain he was experiencing.

The Dark Lord smiled evilly and once again leveled his wand at the man.

"We can't have whispers about my treatment of you can we" he stated simply. _"Obliviate"_ he mumbled casually.

Immediately Randolph appeared to be confused as to why he was in a heap on the floor and hissed in pain as he attempted to stand.

"Are you okay Randolph?" Voldemort asked in well practiced faux concern.

He was still furious with the man but had vented some of it, though he was not keen for his subordinates to remember his punishments as yet. His position of power was not entirely secure after all and he needed their support for recruitment. He had long ago accepted that he could not create his new order without them, much to his annoyance.

"What happened?" Randolph gritted out.

"We were discussing our next plan and you took a rather nasty fall" Voldemort explained as he helped the man to his feet. "You had just agreed to lead the next attack, quite the honour to receive".

Randolph simply looked confused but shook his head and grinned maniacally.

"It will be my pleasure" he stated gleefully.

"Just as I thought" Voldemort intoned solemnly. "Now why don't you go and rest up, you look a little peaky and you must be at your best after all" he offered.

Randolph rubbed the back of his head and nodded, frowning while he did so.

"I do" he agreed. "Thank you" he finished as he exited the room leaving behind a very thoughtful Tom Riddle.

The Dark Lord spent much time contemplating the Potter boy.

"Even after their blunder the boy should have been no match for Antonin" he mused aloud. "He will be a strong ally" he surmised. "Or quite the thorn in my side should he choose to oppose me" he concluded gravely.

He shook his head dispassionately.

"I must be cautious with him".

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was pacing the breadth of his office contemplating the enigma that was Harry Potter.

He of course had been privy to a glimpse into the boy's mind but ever since that encounter, he had learnt very little about him with the exception of what the staff had shared with him.

Filius had nothing but praise for the teen and his abilities and the headmaster did not doubt the charms Professor's impression, but he could not rely on one man's observations where Tom Riddle was concerned. The man was dangerous and placing his faith in a sixteen year old, no matter how gifted, did not sit well with the aged Transfiguration master. At least, not without further proof of the Potter boy's potential.

From what he himself had seen he believed the potential did exist within Harry, but what he had witnessed was not complete and utter skill but more than a little luck was involved.

"I must test him further" he sighed unhappily. "But how?".

He continued pacing back and forth while pondering his predicament. He knew that he could not outright put the boy in a dangerous position, he had the backing of Charlus, a man that Dumbledore was not keen on crossing.

He paused suddenly as an idea hit him.

"That's it" he whispered in realisation. "Not only will it test him, but it will show me just how good he is" he concluded, breathing a sigh of relief.

He pieced his idea together, putting all the factors in place and finally nodded his head, content with what he had come up with.

His first port of call would be a conversation with Professor Mortlake to arrange putting the first part of his plan into action.

"Let us see what he is truly made of" he declared, stroking the plumage of his phoenix who trilled in agreement. "Our very lives may depend on him".

 _(BREAK)_

Two weeks had passed since the duel with Dolohov and the day Harry had been looking forward to had arrived; a trip to Hogsmeade with the rest of the Marauders. He had been forced to miss the previous one due to serving detention for his public interrogation of Snape and the Lestrange's, but now he was free from those and he had continued training exceedingly frequently, often now accompanied by the others who were all improving vastly.

Remus, James and Sirius were all very close to producing a corporeal patronus and Peter was continuously getting better and better with his spell casting, something had hadn't ever been particularly gifted in.

Today however, they would not be training. Today was about having a few hours away from the castle and simply enjoying themselves as much as they could.

The group attended breakfast at the earliest possible time and had a hurried meal before making their way to the Entrance Hall to be checked out by Filch, who as Harry found out, still had his tendency to be overzealous with his detector, prodding and poking unnecessarily hard and invasively.

"Where to first?" Remus asked as they exited the carriages.

"Zonkos" Sirius answered immediately.

"Then Honeydukes" Peter piped up.

"Then the Three Broomsticks" James added.

"So the usual then?" Remus questioned amusedly.

"I guess so, lead the way Moony" James instructed.

Remus simply shook his head and lead them to the shop where many a prank of the Marauders was cooked up as they perused the shelves and discovered new and forgotten items to cause mischief and mayhem.

After they had finished purchasing their wares, something that took a considerable amount of time, the teens headed for the sweet shop to add to their procurements for the day.

"I can't see how you eat those Moony" Sirius stated, grimacing as he watched the other boy fill his basket with blood pops.

Remus shrugged.

"I think the wolf likes them" he whispered.

Sirius gave him a weak smile and nodded his understanding.

They each picked out what took their fancy and paid for their goods before exiting and heading towards the pub for lunch, all feeling famished from the efforts of shopping.

Finding a table without any trouble, they took a seat and waited for a much younger looking Rosmerta than Harry was accustomed to seeing, to come and take their orders.

"Potter, Black" She greeted James and Sirius warmly. "I'm warning you, none of your foolishness today" she added, wagging a finger at them.

"Ahh Rosie, we wouldn't dream of such a thing" Sirius returned with an elaborate bow and a smile that said otherwise.

The woman raised an eyebrow at the boy and placed her hands on her hips.

"Fireworks in the toilets, muggle laxatives in other students butterbeer, the bar stool that would bite any one who tried to take a seat" she reeled off. "Need I go on?".

"Not necessary" Sirius replied dismissively.

The woman folder her arms and shook her head at the group.

"I'll be watching" she informed them threateningly. "Now, what can I get for you?" she asked, removing a pen and pad from her apron.

"Chicken salad please" Harry answered first.

Rosemerta looked at him properly for the first time and then quickly towards James before returning her gaze back to Harry.

"I heard rumours of another one of you" she sighed. "Please don't tell me you are as bad as him" she implored, gesturing at a mock offended James.

"I assure you Rosie, my brother is much worse" he broke in before Harry could answer.

Harry shook his head amusedly and smirked.

"That I find hard to believe" Rosmerta retorted. "Now, what are the rest of you having?".

"Chicken and chips" Sirius answered.

"Blue steak and chips, please" Remus chipped in quietly.

"Chicken salad please" James requested.

"Same" Peter shrugged. "And five butterbeers".

"It will be with you soon" the barmaid explained once she had written down the order, before she headed back to the bar.

It was when the group were half way through their meal when their day of fun took a turn for the worse.

Harry had just raised his drink to his lips when the distant rumbling of an explosion reverberated throughout the bar and the teen was instantly on his feet, his wand in his hand.

The rest of the occupants in the bar had frozen and fallen silent, listening nervously for any further sounds of disturbance.

The door of the Three Broomsticks burst open as another, much closer, blast was heard.

"DEATH EATERS" the middle aged female intruder screamed before she simply collapsed.

After the briefest second of shocked stupor, the patrons began to panic, with none knowing what to do in the situation.

Harry immediately sprung into action shortly followed by the rest of the Marauders.

"Rosmerta" he called in a commanding voice.

The woman immediately paid attention to the commanding tone and turned her attention to the boy, noting that he was calm yet ready for a confrontation.

"Block the door once we leave, but don't magically lock it" he instructed firmly. "Come on" he added to the rest of the group.

"Harry, we can't just go out there" Remus returned worriedly.

"What the hell do you think we have been training for?" the glowing eyed teen retorted.

Remus swallowed deeply, but nodded his agreement.

"Formation one" Harry continued simply. "And remember what I said about stunners, they will not be using them" he reminded them gravely as they reached the exit to the premises.

When he saw that there were no more protests he pushed the door open and stepped into the streets of Hogsmeade, his friends automatically falling into position behind him leaving them all back to back so they could not be surprised from any side.

The first thing Harry noticed was the cold, the familiar cold of the Dementors.

"Fuck" he cursed and sent off two Patronus's, one to Dumbledore and one to the auror office. "Dementors" he explained to the others who immediately became more nervous.

The time for hesitation was not now however as the first sounds of battle were heard close by. Screaming, agonized screaming at that.

Harry led the rest of them around the corner and sighed knowing that the safer strategy he had decided on would not work. The skirmishes were small but were spread out enough that too many innocent people would be hurt if the Marauders attempted to take care of each one at a time.

"LILY" James suddenly screamed urgently as he broke formation and charged towards a fighting group.

"Shit" Harry growled. "Padfoot, Wormy, go with him" he instructed.

The two boys only hesitated for a moment before following James, leaving Harry and Remus together.

Harry stifled down the feeling of fear that had come over him at the thought of the people he cared about being away from his protection. He knew he had to get back to them as quickly as possible and turned to face the werewolf. As he did so his eyes caught sight of something that immediately had him trembling with rage, a rage that the other teen could feel radiating from his furious green eyed friend.

"Shield my back" Harry demanded dangerously as he stepped past Remus.

As he followed Harry Remus too became aware of what had riled him so much.

Four people in full Death Eater garb were firing an array of curses into a cluster of cowering third year girls. The wolf within Remus reared it's head and bayed angrily, calling out for justice. Without a thought the werewolf roared furiously and bounded after his friend.

The moment he was in striking distance Harry fired a Severing Curse and cleaved the closest of the attackers in two at the waist, catching the attention of the other three who were now clearly nervous and very surprised at what had just transpired, even though their faces were hidden by bone white masks.

" _Avada Kedavra"_ a gruff male voice screamed after he managed to shake off the stunned state he had found himself in.

Harry quickly conjured a stone wall and banished the debris back towards a once again surprised Death Eater as it exploded under the power of the curse.

The man could not believe that a mere student would be capable of defending himself against the killing curse and watched triumphantly as his aim was true, lowering his wand prematurely. The biggest shock was when the boy conjured the wall and banished the remnants back towards him, leaving no time to mount any defense. Before he could even comprehend what he was seeing, a large rock collided with his head and his last memory was the sound of his own skull smashing and caving in on itself.

Harry, in his fury was not satisfied by the easy death the man had been granted and fired a stream of fire towards the corpse, reducing it to nothing but a fine ash.

The final two attempted to turn heel and run, not wanting to engage the young man in battle, but Harry had other ideas.

He flicked his wand, causing a long, thin flame to form into a whip which he cracked in the direction of one of the fleeing men, catching him on the shoulder, removing the right arm entirely.

The man screamed in pain and fell to the floor, whimpering, shaking and clutching the stump of his shoulder.

By this point the final assailant had managed to put a reasonable amount of distance between himself and the avenging teen, but he was by no means safe.

Harry shook his head and snorted distastefully.

"Should have apparated" he mumbled before he took his own advice and appeared in front of the man, withdrew a dagger and mounted his attack.

The man stopped dead in his tracks as he felt a sharp pressure in the middle of his face and looked up only to be met with the very eyes he had been attempting to escape from.

When he saw the boy was not attacking but smirking triumphantly he frowned and quickly found the reason for the look of victory he was receiving.

He averted his eyes downwards and his eyebrows rose as he spotted the black hilt of the dagger, but only the hilt as the blade had already been thrust into his face. He choked on the panic he felt and screamed as he felt the offending object tugged from within him, the blood immediately gushing and covering his still smiling attacker.

His body began to burn. Not a burn he had ever heard of from a simple stab wound, but a burning that enveloped his entire being as he crumpled to the floor and screamed silently until he felt the flow of blood slowing, a sign that his end was near. With a final gurgle and spatter of blood erupting from his gaping wound, he fell still.

Remus watched in horror and awe as Harry dispatched of the four men in a calm and casual manner, trying his best to fight the nausea that he felt stirring in his stomach. The wolf had other ideas however and howled agreeably with what the other boy was doing, causing Remus to nod his head also.

"The bastards deserve it" he growled, the amber glow in his eyes becoming more and more prominent as he accepted the observation of his inner companion.

He shook himself from his thoughts and ran towards his friend, feeling the need to protect him and though he knew Harry did not need it, the wolf insisted on it fiercely.

Harry had begun moving towards another collection of people in dire need of help and gasped as he recognised the three girls who were managing to defend themselves quite well even though they were outnumbered considerably.

He had to admit that even a 16 year old Bellatrix was very impressive with a wand as he watched her dueling three opponents at once while Narcissa was trying her best to shield her two fighting sisters.

Andromeda was also clearly able in a fight but the larger numbers were beginning to take its toll on the siblings.

Harry sprinted at full speed towards them as another group of Death Eaters approached and joined the attack forcing the older two to abandon their attack and resort to shielding under the fresh salvo sent their way.

Harry announced his arrival into the fray with a very powerful Blasting curse, reducing four of the men to nothing but a fine mist of blood and scattered remains.

Bellatrix looked towards where the curse had come from as did the rest of the Death Eaters, and felt a huge relief wash over her as she caught sight of the emerald fire in a pair of very familiar eyes.

Harry smirked evilly as one of the Death Eaters began firing an orange spell he had seen once before.

"Lestrange" he snarled, though he swelled inwardly at the chance to kill the bastard.

"Potter" the other man spat as he fired the same curse once more only to see it batted casually aside by the teen.

The next thing the man was aware of was a ripping feeling as half of his mask was removed and his face was gashed wide open by the returning cutting curse.

He roared in pain as he felt a very warm and thick substance cascading down his cheek. Knowing that the wound would bleed out quickly he activated his emergency portkey and fled.

"Fucking coward" Harry hissed as he turned his attention to the rest of the Death Eaters and began firing as many deadly curses as he could.

He quickly found himself needing to shield however as a stream was sent his way from many wands.

"Shit" he cursed as he thought quickly about what he could do.

From the corner of his eye he saw that Narcissa had been isolated by a trio of black robed men and he growled angrily again.

His anger was abated and replaced by a fresh sense of fear as he spied Remus charging towards them firing all manner of violent cutting and blasting curses.

He managed to take down two of the men quickly but was caught with a Bonebreaker that caught his hand causing him to drop his wand, though that did not stop his charge.

He simply yelped in pain and avoided another curse sent towards him and leapt on the unsuspecting Death Eater, pinning him to the ground with one hand and began perpetually pounding the man in the face with his already broken appendage while roaring angrily, his eyes still glowing.

Narcissa looked on in complete fear as a boy she had never even spoken to came to her rescue and beat her attacker unconscious, leaving his face a shattered and busted mess.

Remus beat the man until he could no longer lift his arm, the wolf encouraging his actions the whole time. The man he was punching was dead, there was no doubt about it and Remus breathed heavily from the effort and swallowed deeply.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see the young blonde girl holding his wand, which she immediately offered him.

"Thank you" he whispered hoarsely as he took it back in his off hand, his other now lame and nothing more than tendered meat.

He turned to see that the fighting around him had once again become very lively indeed and was about to help as much as he could when the golden shield around Harry dropped and he apparated in front of Bellatrix and Andromeda, a cold glare marring his features.

The trio was faced by almost two dozen people in black robes and Remus had no idea what Harry was planning, but he knew things were going to get very dangerous.

Bellatrix was surprised by the sudden appearance of the boy in front of her and her sister and had no idea what he was thinking. The only thing she was very aware of was the power radiating from him and it made her shudder, but not an uncomfortable shudder. It was one that seemed to wrap itself around her in a warm embrace.

Harry knew he was now in a desperate situation and he still needed to find James, Sirius and Peter.

He landed in front of the Black sisters and the battle seemed to lull briefly as he focused all the power he could muster. He knew that what he was going to do would not go down well with many but in this moment, he simply did not care.

"FIENDFYRE" he roared and smiled triumphantly as the enormous basilisk shaped flames erupted from his wand and engulfed his now screaming enemies.

The basilisk curled protectively around the young man that had summoned her and bowed as he willed her to return to where she had come from. The power the boy wielded quelled her rage and she complied and vanished the instant he flicked his wand in her direction.

"Are you ok Remus?" Harry asked worriedly as he turned to face his friend, ignoring the looks of shock that the rest of the group wore.

Remus swallowed and nodded but his reply was cut short as Harry stiffened suddenly.

The cold had become prominent once more, causing his hair to stand on end. He spun on the spot to face where he could feel the cold radiating from, his eyes widening as he did so.

In the distance he could see a large swarm of Dementors beginning to surround another group of people, two of which Harry could easily identify by their attempts to keep the creatures at bay with their patronus's.

"Stay here Moony, make sure these are ok" he instructed before disappearing silently.

Remus looked around frantically and shuddered as the cold began to set in. He sighed knowing that his fight was over as he couldn't even hold his wand and he had never even attempted left handed casting.

He felt a gentle grip close around his wrist and turned to see the same blonde he had just saved waving her wand over his useless limb, muttering softly as she did so.

He hissed in pain as he felt the bones snap back in to place and quickly reveled in the warmth as tight bandages wrapped themselves tightly around his very tender hand.

"You won't be able to use it for a few days" Narcissa whispered.

Remus sighed and nodded.

"Thank you" he replied gratefully and smiled at the girl warmly.

Narcissa shook her head.

"Thank you" she returned sincerely. "They were going to kidnap me".

The pair were interrupted by two loud gasps.

Andromeda and Bellatrix had been watching the skirmish that the Dementors had headed to and evidently Harry had appeared at. Even from this distance they were blinded by the brightness of his patronus as it galloped around and was joined by two other lesser attempts, though they were not as bright, they were certainly helping.

Bellatrix shook her head at the beauty of the stag she could see and sighed inwardly.

"There's so much to you Harry Potter" she whispered, a whisper that did not go unnoticed by her older sister who smiled knowingly in her direction.

 _(BREAK)_

James hurtled towards the redhead and her friends and began firing curses at those that were attacking them, thinking only of preventing them from being hurt or killed.

He heard the pleading of Sirius for him to slow down but he ignored his friend and continued on his way seeing that the situation that Lily was in was becoming more grave as they were only managing to shield against the onslaught.

He simply blasted his way through the backs of those that had surrounded the girls and placed himself in front of them before turning to face the attackers, a cutting curse catching his shoulder as he did so.

He hissed in pain but returned fire instinctively gulping slightly as he realised that he had put himself in a very disadvantaged position.

He was surrounded on all sides but was quickly finding himself relaxing as Sirius and Peter managed to place themselves on either side of him.

"Well, well, well" one of the masked men mocked. "It seems that we have some idiot Gryffindor's to kill" he added gleefully as he fired a curse towards Marlene who had dropped her shield and was panting heavily.

Without even thinking of the consequences Sirius dived in front of the spell and felt his collar bone break.

He gritted his teeth as the pain exploded from the shoulder and he roared furiously as he began firing the spells he had been learning from the Black family magic, catching the Death Eaters by complete surprise at the use of dark magic.

Before they could retaliate Sirius had felled three of them, two had died very quickly as they were engulfed by black flames but the third screamed in pain as he began clawing at his own face impaling one of his eyes on the end of his finger, pulling it from the socket in the process.

"You bastard" a female voice shrieked as she looked upon her thrashing comrade and fired a killing curse at the teen.

It was Peter that conjured a wall to defend his friend but he did not think to banish the resulting debris away from himself causing himself to be clobbered by a few heavy rocks, injuring him rather badly.

Because of this he was unable to prevent the cutting curse that had been fired his way from hitting him and it lacerated his chest deeply.

Seeing his friend go down in such a way angered Sirius more than he could ever think possible and he once again began firing curses with reckless abandon, followed quickly by James, both being very grateful for the training they had had from Harry.

The two boys became aware quickly that the girls they had been helping also sprung into action, shielding them when they needed it, leaving the two to focus on attacking, attacks that were dropping member after member of the Death Eater ranks.

The Dark Lord's men clearly had not been expecting such resistance and crumbled under the pressure of the unexpectedly lethal curses being fired their way, many dying with many others fleeing by way of the emergency portkeys they carried.

The two boys fired curse after curse and only stopped when Lily and Marlene made them aware that there was no longer anymore Death Eaters to fight around them.

The two shared a sheepish look and simply fell to the ground, completely exhausted by their efforts.

"Wormy" Sirius sighed.

"He's ok" Alice answered him. "He's bleeding a little and probably broke a few bones but he'll be fine".

Sirius nodded but suddenly bolted to his feet as he felt the cold settling in.

James quickly followed but their attention was caught by a bright, and massive stream of fire in the distance and balked as it formed into a basilisk.

"What the hell is that?" Marlene asked fearfully.

"Fiendfyre" Lily whispered worriedly.

"Harry" James stated knowingly, feeling relief wash over him though the cold was slowly taking precedence.

Lily watched as the flaming snake engulfed those that were attacking her friend but quickly turned towards her left as she felt the Dementors approaching.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ both James and Sirius tried desperately, only issuing a weak shield from their wands.

The two boys tried time and time again but it was no use. The effects of the Dementors took their toll and their shields became nothing and the beasts closed in.

It was then that the group became aware of a warming power in front of them as Harry apparated between themselves and the creatures, a murderous glint in his brightly glowing eyes.

" _Expecto Patronum"_ he roared and grinned victoriously as prongs chased away the screeching Azkaban guards.

He was quickly followed by both James and Sirius who managed to produce a strong shield each to defend the rest of those that could not perform the spell, each one feeling rejuvenated by the arrival of Harry.

As the last of the Dementors faded into the distance Harry ended the spell and looked around frantically for anymore signs of fighting and sighed in relief when he could hear no more indicators of an ensuing battle.

"Are you all ok?" he asked.

When he received five nods in return he breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed allowing his magic to calm once more.

Although Peter was hurt and the others in the group were looking rather pale and disheveled he knew that they would be ok, even though James, Sirius and Remus would all have to deal with taking their first lives in battle.

"You took that curse for me" Marlene suddenly whispered, looking towards Sirius in disbelief.

Sirius swallowed deeply and nodded as he clutched his broken clavicle, the area becoming more and more tender.

Marlene approached the boy and wrapper her arms around him gently, resting her head against his chest and shaking her head.

Sirius looked towards both Harry and James, clearly torn on what he should do.

"For Merlin sake Padfoot just hug the girl, or Harry will do it" James sighed.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at his friend but complied and gingerly wrapped his undamaged arm around her.

It was then that Harry became very aware of another very powerful magical presence and he immediately turned, drawing his wand as he did so only to be faced by a very worried looking Albus Dumbledore.

"I believe Mr. Pettigrew needs medical attention" the headmaster stated simply. "Perhaps you should go back to the castle, the rest of the Hogsmeade weekend has been cancelled" he informed them.

The teens nodded their agreement and James and Sirius levitated the downed marauder between them as they made began making their way back to the school to get some much needed treatment for their injuries.

"Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore called after them, addressing Harry.

Harry turned towards the aged man and waited for him to speak.

"Although I do not agree with your methods, I am pleased that you were here, it certainly would have been much worse if you hadn't" the old man sighed.

Harry simply nodded his understanding and followed his friends back towards the castle.

Dumbledore observed the devastation that had been wrought in the last half an hour and shook his head.

He could still feel the warmth of the Patronus that had driven away the Dementors but there was a darkness that permeated the air also and that darkness belonged to one Harry Potter.

"Impressive" he conceded. "But is he enough to end it?"

 _(BREAK)_

Tom Marvolo Riddle was waiting in a secure location for news on how the planned attack on Hogsmeade had developed. Although the majority of those he had sent had been new recruits, he expected positive things from them as this was their first chance to prove themselves to him in an attacking situation. As an added precaution, to ensure the desired results, he had also sent along the Dementors and a few more experienced individuals from within his force.

The Dark Lord frowned as the wards alerted him to a presence arriving back much earlier than he had anticipated. He frowned further when he noted that it was in fact Randolph Lestrange that had appeared in the room with a very large and deep cut across a considerable section of his face.

"What happened Mr. Lestrange?" he asked irritably.

"Potter" the heavily bleeding man spat simply.

Lord Voldemort growled irritably. It appeared that the boy was choosing to oppose him.

"Or perhaps he was merely defending his friends" he mused thoughtfully.

Lestrange huffed and made his way to the nearby potion store to begin tending to his wounds, leaving his leader to his thoughts.

The thoughts the man was having however were soon put to rest as more and more of his followers began to return, most looking worse for wear.

"Is this all there is?" he questioned them dangerously when no more returned.

Less than half of those he had sent had come back to him and the man was furious.

"The boy" a voice replied fearfully. "He killed them".

"Fiendfyre" another broke in. "We couldn't touch him" he explained.

The Dark Lord shook his head.

So the boy had decided to oppose him after all. Definitely not the desired outcome of that particular situation.

"Perhaps it is still salvageable, the boy is clearly talented" he mumbled as he paced back and forth.

He was more than a little surprised by what he had heard and confidently deduced that the young Potter was not a light wizard, he had used Fiendfyre and obviously used it successfully. NO light wizard would use that spell even if the situation was dire. It was dark magic and exceedingly difficult to control. Only those of considerable power could do it and even those found it a difficult bit of magic to master.

"There's still a chance" he declared. "I need to convince him to see things my way" he added, feeling frustrated by the boy.

He continued his pacing while formulating a plan in his mind, attempting to find a way to win Potter's allegiance.

"I need a private meeting with him" he whispered in realisation as he began drafting a missive to the young man in his mind.

 _(BREAK)_

It was the day after the attack on the village and Charlus Potter was pacing furiously in his study, waiting for the man he ad requested the presence of to arrive.

Upon hearing about the attack via a friend who lived in Hogsmeade, he had been worried about the welfare of the boys. Once he had been assured that they were all ok, the worry he felt quickly turned into anger and now Charlus Potter was tired of being idle. It was time for him to take action and he knew that many people were in for a rude awakening. Since the war with Grindelwald had ended he had take a back seat and allowed society to do it's own thing, but that would no longer be the case.

The fire situated within the room flared a bright green and deposited his oldest friend on the rug in front of it.

"Charlus" Arcturus greeted him in his usual manner as he removed the ash from his robes with a simple wave of his wand.

"Have you heard?" the other man questioned gravely.

"I have" Arcturus confirmed darkly. "Am I right to assume you have a plan?".

Charlus nodded stiffly and offered his friend a seat.

"I think it is about time that those old relics in the Wizengamot get a massive kick up the arse" he stated as he took a seat of his own.

Arcturus frowned and looked more than a little disappointed by the ambition of his brother-in-law.

"I was thinking that you would want to be a little more direct" he mumbled, clearly disappointed.

"Oh, we will get to that" Charlus assured him. "When the time is right we will both be right at the front but for now we are much more useful politically".

Arcturus frowned again but nodded his head, a smirk forming on his lips as he did so.

"The boy seems to be doing rather well so far" he observed.

"But he is missing the political clout he needs" Charlus pointed out.

Arcturus nodded once more and looked positively gleeful.

"Does that mean we get to wake those old shits up like back in the old days?" he asked.

Charlus shook his head amusedly.

"Soon" he promised. "But first we have some work to do, we need some allies and I think Dorea is planning for us all to check on the boys personally" he finished with a shake of his head.

 _(BREAK)_

After exiting the hospital wing and leaving Peter in there for the night to recover, the rest of the group were sent back to their common rooms so that the Professors could conduct a thorough investigation into what had transpired and to bolster the security around the school.

The teens spent a subdued evening in the Gryffindor common where very little talking took place.

After Professor McGonagall had informed them that eleven students had been killed during the attack a very disheartened and upset Gryffindor house headed to bed.

Harry had become accustomed to death throughout his years but he could see that most others were struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

"It will be much worse tomorrow" he sighed as he settled into bed to get some much needed rest.

He awoke early as he always did and found the rest of the marauders awake, all in their own state of silence deep thought.

"Remus" he called as he took a seat next to the very pale and trembling boy at the foot of his bed.

The boy did not respond so Harry prodded him gently to garner his attention.

The werewolf was startled from his stupor and he yelped from the unexpected contact.

"What's wrong?" Harry questioned the morose boy.

"I killed someone" Remus stated simply.

Harry sighed and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder causing the other to look at him desperately.

"Why did you do it?" Harry questioned him seriously.

Remus swallowed deeply and shared a look with both James and Sirius who were looking equally forlorn.

"The wolf took over" he whispered sadly.

Harry shook his head.

"No Remus, we both know that the wolf cannot influence you that much, try again" he urged.

Again, Remus looked towards the other two boys and a look of disappointment etched itself on his face.

"Because they were trying to kill Bellatrix's sister" he admitted quietly.

"You saw someone innocent in a life threatening situation and you stepped up" Harry explained. "What do you think would have happened if you didn't?".

Remus frowned in thought before a look of realisation dawned.

"They would have killed her" he choked worriedly.

"They would have" Harry agreed. "You did what you had to do to stop that and you should be proud of yourself, all of you should" he added firmly glancing towards James and Sirius. "If you hadn't done what you did then things would have been much worse and more innocent people would have been killed".

The other three boys shared an uncertain look and Harry sighed once more.

"Those bastards attacked children and they attacked to kill" he ground out. "What would you do differently?" he asked the trio.

They were silent for a moment before James broke it, holding his head high and looking much more sure of himself.

"I'd do it again, as many times as I had to" he declared.

"So would I" Sirius agreed.

"Me too" Remus concurred, though a little more quietly.

Harry nodded.

"You killed those men to protect, you didn't do it for enjoyment or in cold blood" he pointed out. "What you did was righteous and no one will hold that against you, but more importantly you shouldn't hold it against yourself" he explained. "Just be proud of what you did because very few would have done the same" he finished sincerely.

The three teens all stood a little straighter and smiled at the praise from their fellow marauder.

They shared some idle chat before they headed down to breakfast to wait and see what the day would bring. Harry had a gut feeling that the repercussions of the previous day had yet to felt so he began preparing himself mentally for anything that might go awry.

They entered the Great Hall to find it already full thought the atmosphere was very somber indeed.

A large amount of whispering could be heard about them as they took their seats but the group managed to ignore it in favour of piling their plates with food.

Lily, Marlene and Alice joined them and simply sat, none of them feeling at all talkative.

Once the plates had been cleared, Dumbledore stood and the attention of the room was solely on the headmaster who was wearing a very grim expression.

He sighed deeply before talking in a melancholy tone.

"Today we find ourselves in mourning as eleven of our very own lost their lives in the attack on Hogsmeade yesterday" he began sadly. "As a result of the attack the staff and I are in agreement that future trips to the village are hereby cancelled until we can be sure of your safety" he explained.

There was a small amount of whispering but no one protested loudly at the proclamation.

"Furthermore, due to the Dementors being at liberty we also have to cancel the rest of the years Quidditch matches and place a curfew on all students" he sighed.

This time there was a significant amount of protest from many of the students at the loss of the sport but Dumbledore simply held up his hands to silence them.

"We cannot ward against the Dementors so it is no longer safe to practice or play" he elaborated. "But we have decided that we will put other things in place, perhaps a ball and another event that will be revealed in due course" he finished promisingly.

Again there was whispering heard in the room and many people who had voiced their displeasure at Quidditch being cancelled were abated.

At the announcement that there would be a ball Harry's stomach sank at the memory of the only other ball he had attended during the Triwizard Tournament.

He looked up from his spot on the table and caught sight of Bellatrix who seemed to be staring at him speculatively, though he could not be sure because as he became aware of it she was no longer looking in his direction.

Dumbledore again raised his hands to silence the room but was interrupted by the sound of the doors to the hall banging open and a large contingency of people entered, some of which Harry recognised, but others he had never seen before.

He recognised a much younger Barty Crouch Sr., complete with his trademark toothbrush moustache. Abraxus Malfoy was behind him with a much younger looking Lucius who walked towards the table as pompously as ever. The final person he knew was a much younger and healthier looking Alastor Moody who had both of his eyes and legs, though he was still heavily scarred.

"This isn't good" Harry concluded darkly.

The large group made their way to the head table lead by none other than Minister Bagnold who immediately began a furiously whispered conversation with Dumbledore.

Harry shook his head but was inwardly pleased that he had the advantage in this situation.

Croaker had insisted that he studied the more prominent members of society before he made the journey back, and as a result, he knew everything he needed to about Bagnold.

She was a rather stern woman on the surface but had spent most of her time being morally objectionable towards the killing of the Dark Lord's followers until she realised that it was indeed the only way to combat the threat against the nation. But by the time she had shifted her views, it was too little too late and one of the biggest causes for Harry being sent here in the first place.

Harry was shook from his musings by the sight of Dumbledore shaking his head, sighing and nodding in defeat before turning back to face the assembled students.

"Could the following students remain behind" he requested with an irritable shake of his head. "Harry and James Potter" he began again. "Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Frank Longbottom and the three young Black females" he finished with a bow in the direction of the three girls.

The woman leading the group leaned in again and whispered something else to the headmaster.

"Also Miss Evans, Miss McKinnon and Miss Prince if you will" he added with a frown. "The rest of you, back to your common rooms" he instructed firmly.

The rest of the students left, all looking very confused.

"Just shut up and let me do the talking" Harry whispered to the others in a no-nonsense tone as the last of the students left.

The others nodded their agreement and Harry shot Frank a questioning look.

"I killed two of them who were trying to torture some fourth year Hufflepuffs" the boy explained quietly before hanging his head, clearly ashamed by his actions.

Harry nodded his understanding and offered the boy a look of sympathy.

"You should be proud of what you did Frank" Sirius broke in, causing the boy to snap to attention and look at the younger one confusedly.

Before Frank could answer the remaining students were beckoned to join the assembled adults who were all looking very grave indeed and some nervous, particularly Dumbledore.

They approached the stage with Harry in the lead who already knew that he would have to take control of the situation before Bagnold could do so.

"Before we begin, may I ask why the Malfoys are here?" he questioned the woman as he reached a comfortable distance away from the ministry workers, a distance which he felt he could defend himself from if necessary.

"Lord Malfoy is a governor of the school Mr. Potter" Dumbledore answered. "Young Lucius is here being prepared to take his place".

Harry shot a look towards the younger Malfoy, even a younger Lucius made his skin crawl. The other boy seemed to be focused on another student however, the youngest female. Harry felt bile rise into his throat at the sight of the leer Lucius was giving Narcissa and he swallowed down the protective surge of anger he felt before he spoke once more.

"That may be so" he growled. "But surely as a future governor of this school he should not be staring at a student here in such a manner".

At his words Narcissa too became aware of the look that was aimed her way and she shifted uncomfortably before positioning herself behind Harry and Remus causing the older blonde to snap out of his clearly questionable thoughts.

"She was to be my wife" Lucius hissed angrily.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the near twenty year old before shaking his head.

"Disgusting" he replied simply. "And the word was is the key word in that sentence, now you're just eyeing up a thirteen year old girl".

Lucius growled and made to reach for his wand but found himself staring down the length of Harry's before he could even touch the handle of his own.

"Lucius" Abraxus cut in warningly.

Harry smirked and shook his head amusedly.

"Listen to your daddy Lucy" he advised mockingly.

Lucius growled once more but moved his arm away from where his wand was sheathed before looking towards his father questioningly.

The other man just shook his head sharply in response.

Harry turned his attention back to the minister who was looking at him with more than a little curiosity. He also caught sight of Moody who was clearly amused by the situation.

"Well, now that you have finished measuring your wands, can we continue?" Bagnold asked irritably.

Harry gave Lucius a final scathing glare before shrugging.

"I want to know what happened yesterday" Bagnold stated bluntly. "My Aurors have investigated the village and questioned the inhabitants but there a things missing, things that we cannot explain" she continued with a frown. "I wanted to hear from those that were there and your names were all brought to my attention by the villagers" she informed them.

"Idiots in black cloaks and white masks attacked the village and we did what we could to stop them" Harry answered immediately.

Bagnold shook her head and sighed exasperatedly.

"I need more specifics than that" the minister pointed out.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the woman and decided that she needed a real reality check. Clearly she had no idea of the severity of the situation that wizarding Britain was facing.

"We left the pub after we heard the explosions" he began, gesturing towards himself and the other Marauders. "The first thing we saw was four of those bastards firing lethal curses at third year students" he explained darkly.

The minister paled noticeably before composing herself.

"Lethal spells at students?" she asked disbelievingly.

Harry simply nodded.

"They killed eleven of our own and we did what we could to stop it" he replied seriously. "There were no Aurors or no professors around".

"We were having a meeting, but as soon as I received Mr. Potter's message, myself and the members of staff were there as quickly as possible" Dumbledore interjected.

"Clearly not quickly enough Dumbledore" Crouch returned.

Dumbledore conceded the point with a disappointed bow of his head.

"The point is" Harry broke in, "is that it was left up to a bunch of under age students to defend each other and ourselves from attack because both the school and the ministry failed to do it" he pointed out irritably. "And clearly you want to condemn us for our actions when you should be blaming yourselves for your lack of preparation".

The minister and her entourage had the decency to look ashamed before the woman clearly saw an opening she was looking for.

"And just how did you defend yourselves?" she asked. "There was evidence of dark magic everywhere in the village and yet we found none of the attackers alive and only a few bodies".

"We fought fire with fire" Harry shrugged.

The minister frowned and shook her head.

"And where would you learn such magic?" she questioned dangerously, looking questioningly at the headmaster.

"We are Blacks" Bellatrix cut in, indicating herself, her sisters and Sirius.

Bagnold sighed and nodded her understanding. She of course was very much aware of the Black reputation and the family magic they possessed.

"My dad is an Auror" Frank offered. "He's been teaching me to defend myself ever since I got a wand" he shrugged.

"And the rest of you?" Bagnold asked irritably.

"I taught my brother and his friends" Harry responded. "Lily, Marlene and Alice only shielded themselves".

The minister stared at Harry appraisingly for a moment before she addressed him once more.

"You are a very interesting young man" she mused aloud. "No one knew you existed until a few months ago and you have already created quite the reputation for yourself" she added.

"Family secret" Harry shrugged casually, ignoring the note of nervousness he felt. "Privately tutored" he added in explanation.

"And you were taught dark magic?" Moody piped up.

"Depends on what you consider dark" Harry replied with a smirk. "I can kill you with a levitation spell as I could a severing curse".

Moody blinked and then barked in laughter.

"Too right lad" he conceded.

"And where did the Fiendfyre come from?" Bagnold broke in once more, bringing the conversation back to the topic she wished to discuss.

"One of those morons must have cast it and lost control" Harry shrugged.

He caught sight of Moody who was again staring at him speculatively. The man narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He knew the boy was lying and he decided that he would keep watch on the teen. If what he thought was correct then the young Potter was definitely one to watch, for good or for bad.

The minister sighed and shook her head once more, clearly more confused now than when she had arrived.

"I don't know what to do" she huffed.

"We arrest them all for using dark magic" Crouch answered angrily.

The students began to shuffle uncomfortably behind Harry and the professors all looked worried. The Malfoys looked gleeful at the idea and seemed to be waiting for the Aurors to respond.

"And make yourselves look like incompetent buffoons in the process" Harry bit back feeling his fury rise.

"Excuse me?" Crouch questioned dangerously.

"Well how would it look on all of you if you arrest us and the media gets wind of the fact that it was up to a bunch of teenagers to defend ourselves because you weren't there?" Harry asked victoriously.

The ministry members all shared sheepish looks at the young mans observation.

"We did what we had to to survive because you weren't there to protect us" Harry reiterated.

"From some of the rumours I have heard it seems that you do not need protection, Mr. Potter" Bagnold replied defensively.

"You shouldn't listen to rumours minister" Harry advised. "You can only work with fact in your position".

Bagnold narrowed her eyes at him, clearly he had now annoyed her.

The doors to the Great Hall opened before she could respond and Arcturus along with Charlus and Dorea entered the room.

After pausing briefly to consider the scene the elder Black stormed towards the assembly, clearly very angry at what he had deduced was transpiring.

"What the hell is this?" he asked dangerously. "You have no right to question underage students without the permission or presence of their parents" he pointed out.

"We were simply making inquiries Lord Black" Abraxus Malfoy answered.

"And yet you are not a member of the DMLE or staff here so piss of before I curse you back to the farm in France you crawled here from" Arcturus replied dangerously.

Lucius looked as though he would protest but was silenced by a look from his father.

"I am a governor here" Abraxus reminded him.

"I don't care" Arcturus shrugged before he turned his attention to the minister who was looking very nervous by the arrival of the Black patriarch and the Potters.

"We were only making enquiries" she explained.

"Not anymore" Arcturus responded simply. "Unless you plan on arresting any of these students?" he asked, with more than a hint of warning in his tone.

"They used dark magic" Crouch cut in once more.

"Oh shut up Crouch" Charlus broke in. "You're idea of dark magic is anything beyond the spell you use for trimming your mustache".

Arcturus snorted in amusement and Dorea raised an eyebrow at her husband causing the man to shrug.

Moody watched the scene unfolding before him in complete amusement. He had heard rumours about the Potter and Black Lords but he had never seen the men, not even in his position as a guard for the Wizengamot meetings.

Crouch was clearly furious at the joke made at his expense and his moustache twitched irritably.

"I assume you got everything you need?" Arcturus continued but did not even give anyone a chance to respond. "Good, now leave, we have things to discuss the members of our families" he demanded.

"We are not finished" Crouch responded angrily.

"Unless it is official then you are" Charlus returned seriously.

Crouch shared a look with the minister who shook her head in defeat.

She knew that the Potter boy was right and that if they did attempt to arrest any of the teens then it would reflect very badly on her and her establishment.

The boy had indeed held himself and his friends well against the senior members of the ministry and she had to grudgingly respect him for that.

She had heard from a few sources that the Potter boy was very talented but was still a complete mystery to all. She had even briefly attempted to access the family files to look into the young man a little more but had been unsuccessful. What was clear to her was that there was a lot to that boy and it made her feel more than a little uncomfortable.

She decided there and then as she left the castle that she would look into the matter and shot the auror to her right a look.

"I want you to learn everything you can about Harry Potter, Alastor" She commanded. "For some reason he seemed to like you, maybe we can use that".

Moody nodded his agreement. He too was very interested in the young man and was quite pleased at the chance to investigate him.

"Yes ma'am" he confirmed with a growl.

 _(BREAK)_

After the ministry contingency had left Arcturus quickly dismissed the Professors also, clearly wanting to talk to the teens in private.

"What happened yesterday?" he asked calmly.

After hearing the several accounts of what had transpired he rubbed his temples in a frustrated manner and sighed deeply before looking towards Charlus.

"Things are getting very dangerous now" he acknowledged. "You obviously did well defending yourselves but you must be careful, you certainly would have got their attention now" he warned.

"It was Harry that did most of the work" Andromeda explained. "We would have been killed if it weren't for him".

Harry shook his head.

"You all did well under the circumstances" he pointed out. "We got lucky though, it should have been worse and if it weren't for James, Remus, Peter and Sirius it would have been".

"And the reason it wasn't is because you've been training us" James interjected. "We would have been useless without it" he admitted.

Arcturus nodded ruefully.

He had suspected that Harry was the main reason why the Death Eaters had been largely unsuccessful in their attack and it had now been confirmed.

Again he found himself indebted to the young man but it was a debt he carried willingly. Harry was his equal in his eyes and he couldn't respect him more. He could see the Black in the boy and he could see the Potter also but there was more to him than just that. He was a natural at what he did and he was quickly proving that he did it better than any that Arcturus had ever met. He was proud of the teen and proud that he shared blood with him no matter how distantly related they were.

"I can't take all the credit" Harry broke in. "If it wasn't for Remus Merlin knows what would have happened to Narcissa" he sighed.

"What's this?" Arcturus asked with a frown.

Remus suddenly looked very nervous. He was very aware of the Black Lord's reputation having heard some terrifying stories from Sirius over the years.

"It was Remus that defended her" Harry explained simply.

Arcturus looked at the werewolf calculatedly and nodded after a moment.

"Then it seems I am indebted to you also young man" he conceded.

Remus shook his head desperately. All he wanted was for the man to leave him alone, he certainly did not want to be a burden to him in any way.

"I just did what I could" he whispered in response.

"And for that I am grateful" Arcturus returned. "We will address this at a later date" he added, sensing the nervousness of the teen.

Remus swallowed deeply and nodded reluctantly. He just hoped that the man would forget the debt.

"What are we going to do Grandfather?" Bellatrix asked worriedly.

Arcturus sighed.

"I had already decided that I would side with Harry over those morons and it seems that you have all made your choice also" he pointed out.

"Not that we got a choice" Bellatrix grumbled.

"And you wish to join them and attack innocent people for a ridiculous cause?" the older man questioned.

Bellatrix shook her head and held her hands up in a placating manner.

"No, it just means that everyone in our house will be out to get us" she explained.

Arcturus frowned at his granddaughter and shook his head.

"Bellatrix I know for a fact there is only one person in this school that can use their wand better than you and he has defended our family continuously since he arrived" he said knowingly.

"I'm not worried for me" Bellatrix whispered furiously as her eyes flickered towards Narcissa.

Arcturus nodded his understanding.

"Then teach her" he shrugged.

Bellatrix swallowed deeply and nodded.

She would of course try to teach her sister as much as she could but she knew that Narcissa was not a duelist, she was just not that way inclined.

"That goes for you boys too" Dorea spoke up.

"Huh?" James replied dumbly.

Dorea sighed.

"I don't like it but you need to be prepared, just in case" she conceded.

Charlus put an arm around his wife and gave her a comforting squeeze. Dorea had always been intent on not teaching James the family magic, not at all anticipating or believing that another Dark Lord would arise so quickly after Grindelwald.

James nodded his understanding and looked towards Harry.

After the previous days events Harry wanted nothing more than to just protect his friends and family but he now knew more than ever he couldn't keep them out of the conflict no matter how much he wanted to. It was not his place to decide that for them so he nodded his agreement. He would rather that they were prepared, as he was, than being caught off guard without any way of taking care of themselves.

"Good" Arcturus observed happily with a clap of his hands. "Now, I need to talk to Harry so leave" he demanded of the other teens who only hesitated momentarily before making their way out of the hall. "I will visit your mother and explain everything" he added as he noticed Bellatrix hesitate at the exit.

The young girl frowned confusedly before shaking her head and leaving with the others.

After the door had closed Arcturus turned towards Harry and addressed him as gravely and seriously as Harry had seen him.

"I need you to watch over them" he stated simply. "There's no one else I trust to do it so, just keep an eye on them" he requested.

Harry nodded his agreement and waited for the man to continue.

"Regulus too" Arcturus added. "I know he's getting himself mixed up with them but he will be seen as a traitor and he will need someone to help him" he explained.

Harry again nodded his understanding. He had had little experience of the younger Black boy but he would do it for the older man.

"Thank you" Arcturus returned gratefully. "Bellatrix is very capable with a wand but she has been caught out by them already and she will never ask for help, she's too stubborn, so look out for her when you can".

"I will" Harry promised.

He knew that Bellatrix was certainly more than capable of taking care of herself though and knew it was unlikely that she would need him to help her in any way. From what he had seen of the girl during the battle she was a very capable witch, much more capable than any other teen with a standard education and for the first time since arriving he had seen a true glimpse of what she had become before.

"I'm relying on you to keep them safe within these walls Harry, it's not a position I would ever give to anyone else" Arcturus reiterated. "And in return Charlus and myself are going to work on the political side of things, you will need that kind of backing sooner or later".

Harry expressed his gratitude with a nod. He knew that having Arcturus on side could only be a good thing for him especially when it came to politics, something he had no interest in whatsoever.

"We will also be there when you need us and it matters" Charlus cut in.

He then sighed and dragged his hand through his hair in the typical Potter manner.

"I know I can't stop you from doing what you plan on doing but I can help you, even though we just want you to be safe and have the life here you didn't get the chance to before".

"I can't have a life until he's gone" Harry whispered. "You know it has to be me" he reminded him.

Charlus nodded reluctantly.

"I know son, just try and enjoy the small things though and don't let it rule you" he advised seriously as he put his arm around the boy.

"I'll try" Harry promised.

"Good" Charlus acknowledged. "Now I think that it is time for us to leave but remember what we said".

Harry nodded his understanding.

"We will see you soon for Easter" Dorea whispered as she too hugged the boy warmly. "Do stay out of trouble".

"Trouble seems to find me" Harry replied with a grin.

Dorea shook her head and led the other two out of the hall leaving Harry alone.

He shook his head and sighed before he left the hall also to return to Gryffindor tower just wanting some peace after the drama of the morning.

"Potter" a voice broke in as he made his way to the staircase.

He turned to see Bellatrix emerge from a disused classroom. She approached him and stood in front of him clearly having trouble saying what she wanted to.

"Teach me" she muttered quietly.

"What?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

Bellatrix sighed.

"Teach me" She said a little louder.

Harry frowned and shook his head.

"You don't need me to teach you, you can handle yourself just fine" he returned.

"Not as well as you can" she pointed out. "Please, I just want to protect my family" she pleaded.

Harry understood her reasoning better than anyone else would but he knew that there was little he could teach the girl. She had a very impressive spell repertoire as it was.

"You just need to practice, you know more than enough spells to do that" he explained before turning away.

Bellatrix took him by the arm and spun him round to face her once more.

"You're the reason my family are in this mess in the first place" she hissed angrily. "If you hadn't interfered at Christmas then we wouldn't be in this position".

"And you would be marrying Rudolphus and your sister would be walking down the isle with Malfoy, is that what you want?" Harry returned hotly as he pulled his arm out of her grip.

Bellatrix shook her head fiercely.

"I don't need you to teach me many spells, just teach me how to fight like you" she requested softly.

Harry sighed and dragged his hand through his hair.

He found himself in quite the quandary. He knew that Bellatrix was not the same person she was in his timeline but he was very reluctant to teach her anything that could one day be used against him or his friends.

He sighed again as his thoughts continued.

He knew that his intervention had certainly changed things to a degree, an uncertain one at that and he strongly believed that everyone had the right to defend themselves and those they cared about and Harry had no doubt that the girl loved her sisters more than anything else.

"Alright" he agreed. "What can I help you with?" he asked.

Bellatrix smiled victoriously before speaking once more.

"Whatever spells you think will be useful that I don't know I guess" she answered uncertainly. "And just practice fighting and dueling" she added with a shrug.

"OK, we will start during the week" he agreed somewhat reluctantly.

"Thank you" Bellatrix squealed uncharacteristically before throwing her arms around him.

She quickly realised what she had done and stepped back immediately.

"Sorry" she mumbled as she flushed a light pink.

Harry nodded and turned away, more than a little surprised by the unexpected hug from the girl.

"Wednesday, after dinner, same classroom as we used to use" he instructed before heading up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room.

Bellatrix nodded and composed herself before heading in the opposite direction towards the dungeons, chastising herself for hugging the boy, though she knew she hadn't consciously done it.

"Stupid" she whispered irritably. "Why did you hug him?" she questioned herself, feeling very annoyed by her actions.

"Who did you hug?" the mocking voice of Narcissa asked as she and Andromeda exited one of the potion rooms both looking amused.

"No one" Bellatrix denied immediately, but couldn't fight the blush that once again found its way to her cheeks. "Why are you here anyway?".

"We were waiting for you" Narcissa answered. "Who did you hug?" she asked again.

"I bet it was Harry" Andromeda interjected.

"Shut up Andi, I didn't mean to" Bellatrix sighed.

Narcissa giggled at her sister.

"Do you think he'll ask you to the ball?" she questioned excitedly.

Bellatrix growled irritably and stormed away, clearly not wanting this conversation with her sisters.

"She wants him to" Andromeda whispered knowingly.

"I do not" Bellatrix huffed as she rounded the corner away from the duo. "Not that he would" she whispered to herself.

(BREAK)

Harry made his way up to the tower questioning his decision on agreeing to train Bellatrix. He decided that all that he could do would be to see how it went with the girl.

His thoughts moved to the hug that she had given him, something he had never expected from her at all.

He shook his head and sighed in confusion.

It had been hard from the start to maintain his hatred towards her and he had even begun to warm to her during the time they had spent completing the Defense Against the Dark Arts wok they had been assigned together. But since the night she had cursed him he had found it difficult to see her as anything other than the Death Eater she had become.

Even when it had been revealed that she had not done so under her own volition, it had done little to change his thoughts towards her but seeing her actually ask and even plead for his help had given him some kind of hope that she could actually be helped and not become what she had. His intervention at Christmas had clearly been much more major than he had anticipated and he shook his head at the thought that the change could be a very significant one in the greater scheme of things.

"What are you doing Potter?" he sighed to himself as he reached the portrait of the fat lady and gave her the password before entering.

He spotted the other Marauders, minus Peter, sat in their usual space and he joined them.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked Sirius after noticing James was in some sort of stupor.

Sirius chuckled and shook his head.

"Lily thanked him for what he did yesterday" Remus answered with a grin. "She even gave him a kiss on the cheek".

Harry shook his head in amusement before prodding the boy out of his reverie.

"Oi" James grumbled. "I was savouring the moment".

"Rub it in Prongs" Sirius sighed.

"Aww, didn't Marlene thank you?" Harry mocked.

"Oh shut up" Sirius mumbled in reply.

"She actually did but padfoot bottled it" Remus remarked gleefully.

"How?" Harry asked with a confused frown.

"She actually asked him out on a date and he babbled like a moron" Remus explained through bouts of laughter.

"It was unexpected" Sirius whined petulantly.

"What happened?" Harry questioned further.

"Nothing, it looked like the idiot was going to make an excuse so she left" Remus replied with a shrug.

"For Merlin sake Padfoot just find the girl, apologise and admit you like her" James commanded irritably.

Sirius looked as though he would protest but was cut off by Remus.

"No more jokes Padfoot" he promised. "If you like her then tell her before someone else snatches her up".

"Like me" Harry interjected.

"Yeah right" Sirius muttered. "You're not interested in girls, I swear the only wand you have is the one in your holster or you're queer" he added.

Harry shook his head but did not dignify the boy with a response.

"Just find her will you and apologise" he sighed.

Sirius looked between his three friends before conceding the situation with a shake of his head and exiting the common room to find the girl in question.

He quickly removed the map from his back pocket and activated it, quickly finding the girl alone in the library.

"Here goes nothing" he muttered as he made his way towards her.

He entered the library and immediately spotted the girl staring at an open book she had placed on the table in front of her though he could see she was not actually reading it.

"What do you want Sirius?" she asked as he took a seat opposite her.

Sirius swallowed and steeled his nerves before responding.

"To apologise" he sighed quietly.

"For what exactly?" Marlene questioned, her gaze still fixed on the book.

"Being an idiot" Sirius answered simply.

"And?" Marlene replied, finally looking up at the boy with a raised eyebrow.

"For not answering you" he tried uncertainly.

Marlene shook her head.

"You made me look like an idiot" she sighed, clearly upset by what had happened. "Why do you care so much what they all think?".

"You've seen how they all are" Sirius responded.

"James doesn't care, you all rip into him about Lily but it doesn't stop him" Marlene returned.

"I'm not James" Sirius growled. "I asked you out and you said no before" he pointed out.

"Because of how you were Sirius" Marlene explained.

Sirius frowned in confusion so Marlene continued.

"Before this year you had a different girl every week" she pointed out. "I didn't want to just be another one of your conquests".

Sirius nodded his understanding.

"You're different this year" the girl began again. "I've always liked you Sirius but I refuse to be just another name to you, I have more respect for myself than that" she finished firmly.

"I know" Sirius acknowledged. "But you wouldn't have been" he sighed.

Marlene looked at him through narrowed eyes, willing him to continue this time.

"I really like you" he admitted. "And not just because you're beautiful but just, well, everything about you" he concluded simply. "I always liked you but I never thought you would agree to go out with me but when all the girls I did ask out agreed I got cocky and thought you would too".

Marlene laughed causing the boy to flush.

"That's what makes me different to them" she explained. "There's a lot more to you than what you show Sirius and what you did yesterday proved that to me more than anything else could have".

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"You didn't even think about what could have happened to you and you stepped right in front of me and defended me without even thinking about it, I think that means something".

Sirius sighed once more and nodded.

"I really like you, more than I thought I could ever like anyone else" he admitted. "You're fun to be around and you don't take everything too seriously, I really like that".

"It's hard to take things too seriously around you" Marlene replied with a smile. "You just seem to make everything less horrible than it is, even yesterday I felt safe when you were there".

Sirius smiled at the words and snorted in amusement.

"Does that mean you will let me take you on a date then?" he asked nervously.

It was Marlene's turn to smile and she did so as she nodded.

"No more Hogsmeade though, so when?" she questioned.

Sirius frowned in thought before standing and pulling the girl from her seat gently.

"How about right now?" he offered.

"At school?" Marlene replied with a raised eyebrow.

Sirius nodded.

"I know a nice place we can go" he explained as he began leading her from the library.

"I'm not even dressed up" the girl protested, though she was smiling at the antics of the boy who was clearly set on taking her on a date immediately.

"You look perfect as always" Sirius answered dismissively causing the girl to blush as he led her towards their first destination.

 _(BREAK)_

Harry was the first to enter the dormitory that night, exhausted by the events of the weekend and needing sleep. He had sent the remainder of the day in the room of requirement putting work into the family magic that he was still becoming accustomed to, a magic that he wanted to perfect along with his continually developing abilities with his wand.

He chuckled at the memory of Sirius and Marlene returning hand in hand from whatever they had been doing during their time together. The boy had been rather coy and had only told them that he had taken her to the kitchens and the lake but Harry was pleased that Sirius was clearly happy with the development. He had a glint in his eye that he had only ever seen when they were pulling pranks or when he had spent time with the man before he had come here and he was talking about his times with the Marauders in fondness.

He pulled back the curtains of his four poster and found himself frowning immediately as he spotted a white envelope on his pillow, addressed to him in an unfamiliar scrawl.

He drew his wand and waved it over the parchment several times, scanning for anything that could cause him harm. After he was satisfied that the missive was spell free he removed the note within, sat on the edge of the bed and began to read.

 _To Mr. Harry Potter,_

 _Firstly I offer you both my apologies and utter most respect. Had I known that you would be present at Hogsmeade I would have instructed my men to cause yourself and your friends no harm and for their actions I am truly sorry._

 _I resect you for defending your friends in the manner you did and hold no ill will towards you for the death of those that represented it me. It was not my intention to cause harm to any of those in the village but to only demonstrate that our citizens are not safe under the current regime. My men met resistance and acted as they saw fit for which I again apologise, there was to be no casualties._

 _I find myself disappointed in their actions deeply and fear that because of them we may have reached an impasse, an impasse I hope to overcome with a gesture on my part. As we share a talent I am sure that you will appreciate what I have to offer and that is a sanctuary within the castle that only you will be able to access, a place of your own that even Dumbledore himself cannot reach for only those with the gift that we share have the ability._

 _You will find many wondrous things there if you choose to accept my gift and investigate the place in question. I now a keen mind such as yours would appreciate it merely for the knowledge you will gain._

 _I hope that we can move beyond the grievances we have thus far caused each other and for the time being settle on a truce of sorts. I can see that it would serve neither of us any purpose to create a feud between ourselves and further harm the others intentions in our lives. You have my word that neither I nor my men will attempt to cause yourself, your family and friends any harm should you offer me the same sentiment._

 _I eagerly await your reply and sincerely hope you consider this offer with due care, for to ignore it could mean unnecessary repercussions for you and those you hold in your heart._

 _Mr. Gaunt._

Harry growled in fury at the final veiled threat in the letter before crumpling it into a tight ball into his fist and chuckling darkly.

He knew that Voldemort was referring to the chamber of secrets and made a mental note to himself to investigate it further, though he vowed he would not be opening the tunnel in which he knew the basilisk was housed.

He shook his head and felt the letter burn to ashes in his hand through the wave of fury that overcame him as he once again focused on the threat sent his way.

"No chance Tom" he ground out. "I'm coming for you, you bastard" he vowed.

 **A/N**

 **Another one done and some significant progress made. I would firstly like to apologise for my long absence from posting but life happens. Work has been very busy recently and I had a death in the family to deal with so I had to take a break from writing but I am back now and will be posting regularly (At least once a week). I can promise you that I will never abandon any story I start, it happens all too often and I will not be that guy and from now on I will let you all know if there will be a delay of some sort in future but I will do my best to make sure that does not happen. Anyway, follow, favourite and review as usual.**

 **TBR**


	8. Dueling, Detecting and Dating

**A/N**

 **Okay, back again guys with another installment of Stepping Back and again I find myself apologizing to you all for the delay. Between dealing with solicitors, long work hours and an impromptu fortnight working abroad I managed to get this done and ready to continue this adventure.**

 **For a while there I lost any and all motivation to write and I didn't want to put a half-hearted attempt into it and produce something mediocre that would have disappointed myself and all of you that read this. That being said I am happy to say that my motivation is back in full swing and plan on getting back into a much more steady rhythm of uploading.**

 **I felt for sure that this would be my last story on fanfiction for many reasons but having had time off to read a little and just unwind I found that will not be the case. I have plans for 2 more stories, both of which I am looking forward to writing, one of them inspired by my recent reading.**

 **One will most certainly be a Harry/Tonks story as I feel I didn't giver her a fair shake in Honour and missed an opportunity to really explore such a great character. This one will be very AU with the Potters alive and a wrong BWL story, though as usual I have a lot of original ideas and plans for this.**

 **The other is shaping up to be a Harry/Fleur pairing although it is in the very early planning stages.**

 **Before we move on to these however we have this to get through and still a long way to go, so without further ado, I give you chapter 8 of Stepping Back.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 8: Dueling, Detecting and Dating

The days following the visit from the Minister and her entourage had seen Harry Potter in a contemplative mood but it was the missive that he had received from Voldemort that had left him in his thoughtful state.

At first he had begun plotting to begin taking out the known members of the mans following, thinking up ways to nip the issue in the bud, but those thoughts were based on the anger he was feeling and not the cool head he needed to maintain to prevail on his overall goal.

Voldmeort's position was not quite as solidified as he had thought it would be at this point which had him reconsidering his approach that he had initially intended to take. Yes, the man certainly had quite the following as things stood, but Harry knew he had not quite cemented the allegiances he needed to be the force that he would become in time, the man had not even identified himself as the Dark Lord to his most loyal servants, as far as the teen could deduce.

After he had managed to cool himself down from his initial rage he reached a conclusion, one that left him frustrated. He would simply have to wait a while for things to really begin. At the moment Tom and his followers were working from the shadows, forming alliances and carrying out the occasional attack. They were a problem for wizarding Britain indeed but the reputation that the man at the forefront had had not quite spread throughout his ranks. At best for the Dark Lord, he himself was seen as one singular problem and his followers, a nuisance at best, particularly with the lack of success they had had recently.

Although this was very true, it was clear to the Harry that Ministry was now taking the threat more seriously, especially with inclusion of the Dementors in the most recent efforts of Voldemort.

But for now there was very little he could do in regards to the issue without making things worse. He knew that if he was to begin taking out the followers of the Dark Lord that it would more than likely become counter productive. If prominent pureblood members of society began turning up dead or missing then it would just be another reason for them all to band together and it would give credence to Voldemort's propaganda campaign that he was currently using for recruitment, as witnessed first hand by the teen.

Yes, Harry Potter was very frustrated but he knew that patience was what was needed in the interim. He would much rather take the proactive approach but there was too much risk to this as things stood. He would prevent all he could for the time being and wait until he could take a much less passive role in bringing Tom down and he knew it would only be a matter of time.

It wasn't as though his mission was idle however. He now knew that both Charlus and Arcturus would begin the battle in the political arena, something that had not happened here previously and something that Harry was sure would be beneficial to his cause.

He himself had not really considered the political aspect of things, though Croaker had hinted at it on several occasions. Harry knew that he would have no chance of making a political impact he as he would be nothing more than a sixteen year old boy of no consequence but earning the alliance of Arcturus and Charlus had certainly changed things and made the prospect of biding his time just that more bearable.

After managing to deal with his thoughts and decide on a plan he had become much more relaxed once more, much to the relief of his friends who had all noted his pensieve and stressed demeanour.

It was the Monday morning, a little over a week after the attack in Hogsmeade where things became interesting once more. The students were sat eating their breakfast when Dumbledore rose from his seat and gestured for silence.

"Good morning students, I know that it is not customary for me to address you during breakfast when you are preparing for your day but I felt that it was prudent in this instance" he began.

Many of the assembled people wore frowns of confusion but waited patiently for the man to continue.

"After the unfortunate events of our last visit to Hogsmeade the staff and myself have been working on something that we hope will fill the void of such trips and the suspension of the Quidditch championship and I believe we are now ready to announce our intentions".

A small amount of chattering could be heard at this revelation and the Headmaster waited for the noise to die down before addressing the room once more.

"We have decided that we will be staging a dueling competition amongst you, for those who wish to take part, thus the curriculum of certain classes will be changed to reflect this" he explained. "The tournament will be for students fourth year and up I'm afraid, but the subsequent ball will be open to all years, which will take place at the conclusion of the dueling".

A large amount of excited whispering and groaning from the younger years was the reaction he received as many of the pupils began declaring their intention to enter.

"Your Professors will give you more information during your classes and in the spirit of the event, most of the staff have agreed to take part in some exhibition duels amongst themselves to demonstrate how their specialty subjects can be used in a in such circumstances. The dates will be revealed soon along with the rest of details" he finished, offering a small bow as he once again took his seat.

Once again, excited chatter broke out amongst those in the hall and Sirius sighed deeply next to Harry.

"Well it's obvious who will win" he huffed playfully looking at Harry purposely.

Harry shook his head.

"I have no intention of entering" Harry shrugged as he continued eating his eggs.

"But you'd win, easily", Sirius replied, completely surprised by Harry's declaration, as were the rest of the Marauders.

"Probably", Harry agreed. "And that's the main reason I'm not entering, I'd much rather watch" he added genuinely.

Sirius shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm not entering either" James revealed. "I prefer Quidditch and dueling on this level doesn't interest me after training with Harry".

"Moony?" Sirius asked as he found himself once again in a state of disbelief, he was sure that James would certainly enter.

"I'm in" the werewolf answered simply. "It's good practice".

"Not me" Peter answered before he was asked. "I'm no duelist, I leave that to you guys".

"So just Padfoot and Moony then" James surmised. "And we'd all better think about asking people to that ball, girls like to plan ahead on these things" he said ruefully.

"There's ages before that Prongs" Sirius whined. "And besides I'll be going with Marlene so I have nothing to worry about" he added smugly.

James simply shrugged and smirked at the boy.

"That's up to you but I'm sure Marlene would be very upset if you didn't ask her properly and as soon as possible" he warned.

Sirius gaped momentarily before a look of realisation dawned.

"Damn" he grumbled, knowing that his friend was right.

His frown quickly turned into laughter and it took him a moment to compose himself.

"What's so funny" Remus asked, as the rest of the group looked at their clearly amused friend.

"I just realised we are having a ball" Sirius answered as he wiped an errant tear from his eye.

"We've known that for a week now Padfoot" Remus pointed out irritably.

"Yeah, but now Harry has to date a girl" Sirius returned triumphantly.

The others turned their attention to the boy in question, all now wearing equal looks of amusement.

Harry groaned as he dragged his hand through his hair and allowed his head to hit the table with a thud as his new predicament registered.

"Who are you going to take?" James questioned seriously.

"I don't want to go" Harry grumbled. "I hate things like that".

"Well you'll have to, Mum will make sure you do" James returned gleefully.

"Well it's not like they are going to publish it in the prophet" Harry huffed.

"No, but I may have written to Mum already to send some dress robes" James informed him.

Harry groaned once more and began banging his head on the table in frustration.

The others simply laughed at their friend before Peter attempted to comfort him.

"Come on Harry, it's not that bad" the boy tried, patting him on the back. "I'm sure there's lots of girls that will want you take them".

Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Let's just go to charms" he demanded.

The group exited the Great Hall and began making their way to the charms classroom.

It seemed that what Peter had said held some merit as Harry became very aware of quite a number of girls staring at him expectantly as they journeyed through the corridors of the castle.

' _At least it's not just because I'm the boy who lived'_ he thought to himself, though it did not make the upcoming ball any more appealing to him, particularly after his last and only experience of such an event.

They filed into the room and took their seats, minus Sirius who drifted across to Marlene and began whispering with girl. He returned to them a few moments later looking a little flushed and embarrassed.

"You did it already?" James asked, clearly not expecting the other boy to act so quickly.

"Yep" Sirius confirmed proudly. "No point hanging around is there" he shrugged.

Harry shook his head and turned his attention to Professor Flitwick who had just entered the room.

"OK, settle down" , the diminutive man requested as he took his spot on the stack of books he used to teach his class from.

The class fell respectfully quiet and waited for the charms master to proceed.

"As the Headmaster announced we will be having a dueling tournament" he began excitedly. "So that means we will be working on some new spells that you will be able to use if you choose to take part" he announced. "Firstly, we will look at the protego charm, a shield that will block most minor spells and some less pleasant ones too, is anyone familiar with this spell?".

Lily immediately raised her hands and was called upon to explain her understanding of it.

"The spell itself is fairly simple to cast and maintain and is best used to defend against simple jinxes and minor curses but not particularly good against other offensive spells like blasting curses" she began. "If someone is more powerful than you then they can destroy the shield quite easily" she elaborated.

"Very good Miss Evans, take five points for Gryffindor" Flitwick praised. "Can anyone explain why we are starting with the simple shield?".

Harry this time rose his hand and was prompted by the man to give his answer.

"Because shields are a very tiring way of defending yourself and it is unlikely that in a school dueling tournament you would need anything more powerful, it should be sufficient" he finished, though he was not completely confident as some of the spells he had seen used in the school render protego useless.

"Indeed Mr. Potter" Flitwick agreed. "Care to explain further?".

"You should always dodge a spell if you can as it is less draining and leaves you more of a chance to stage a counter attack".

"Very good, five points for you also" Flitwick acknowledged. "I want you all to break off in pairs and work on casting the shield, I will come around and help you, the spell can be found on page 403".

Harry paired off with Remus as James Sirius and Peter headed off together.

"You first" Harry offered.

He had taught the Marauders much more advanced shielding charms already so this was just a recap of what he had gone through with them at the beginning.

Remus nodded and erected a powerful shield immediately, holding it in place for as long as he could.

"It really is tiring" he observed, his breathing having become quite labored.

"Well done Mr. Lupin" Flitwick observed as he joined the pair. "And I am sure you yourself are well versed in the spell" he added to Harry knowingly.

"Yes sir" Harry confirmed.

"Just as I thought" Flitwick mused aloud. "Tell me Mr. Potter, what other shields do you know?" he asked, clearly curious to see how far into shielding charms the boy had gone.

"I can produce and maintain a Mage Shield for quite a while but I prefer the Atlas Shield sir" Harry answered with a thoughtful frown.

Flitwick smirked. It did not surprise him in the slightest that the boy was capable of both but was surprised that he had the knowledge of the latter.

"Why the Atlas Shield?" he questioned.

"It's almost as powerful as the Mage Shield but less draining and you can maintain it wandlessly" he added in a near whisper.

Flitwick's eyebrows rose significantly at that. He himself shared the same views as the teen on shielding and had not looked into them as much. He too much proffered dodging as opposed to shielding in his approach to dueling.

"And that gives you the chance to perform a much more intricate and powerful spell from within the shield, you just have to drop it before you release the other" Flitwick realised.

"It does sir".

"Excellent work Mr. Potter, I am very much looking forward to seeing you compete" the Professor announced, walking away before Harry could answer.

The rest of the class passed with the students continuing to work on their shields and Flitwick testing the ones that looked the most durable with stunning spells.

It was after charms that Harry, Sirius and Peter attended Care of Magical Creatures before joining Remus and James for lunch in the Great Hall.

"What's up with Prongs?" Sirius asked as he took his seat noticing the other boy was looking very nervous.

"He's working up the nerve to ask Lily to the ball" Remus replied with a grin.

James frowned at the werewolf and shot a pleading look towards Harry who sighed and shook his head.

"Just don't be an arse and do anything embarrassing" he advised. "Take her somewhere quiet and ask her properly without any jokes, she wants someone mature".

James nodded and smiled as he felt a sense of relief wash over him.

"How can you know so much about girls and not be dating one?" Sirius questioned.

Harry simply shrugged and began helping himself to some food, not wanting to discuss the subject with the others.

Sirius let out a frustrated groan before he too began to eat before it was time for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

There was no time for chatter as they entered the classroom as Professor Mortlake was waiting for them, arms folded leaning on his desk wearing a very severe expression. He waited for the class to take their seats before beginning.

"It seems that our esteemed Headmaster has had another one of his genius brainwaves", he began sarcastically. "As such I have found myself in a situation where I have to supervise you all as you duel, therefore, stringent rules have been put in place to ensure your safety", he informed them.

The class waited for him to explain further.

"Firstly, there will be no lethal spells or curses", he began again firmly. "Any curses that I deem too dangerous will result in severe punishment and that could mean anything up to expulsion and the DMLE being called".

There was an audible groan from some of the Slytherin students at that.

"Secondly, the duels will be conducted under amateur rules which means that there will be a 15 minute time limit and only one point per victory which is earned by disarming or incapacitation only". "And finally, what I say goes, if you argue with me I will disqualify you, is that understood?".

"Yes sir", was the unanimous response he received, though many sounded reluctant to agree to such terms.

"Good", the Professor acknowledged. "Now today we will work on a few offensive spells so pair up and we shall get started" he instructed.

The marauders paired up amongst themselves with Sirius working with Marlene as Lily and Alice did.

The class passed rather uneventfully considering the issues between the two houses but the peace was not to last as Harry found out after the lesson had been dismissed.

"You're lucky Potter that they have decided to keep you safe with their rules" Rudolphus growled as they exited the class. "I'll just have to embarrass you instead", the boy declared smugly.

Harry rose an eyebrow at the other boy and sighed.

"Are you really so forgetful or do you not just learn?", he questioned seriously. "I have embarrassed you every time you have tried to cause harm to myself or my friends but you just come back for more", he added in faux disappointment. "I'm sure you just must be so brain dead that you forget everything, I bet you'd forget your nuts if they didn't come pre-wrapped and attached to you, because even the most idiotic people would have learnt after the last time" he finished darkly.

Rudolphus flushed and growled in anger as he took a step forward only to find himself immediately looking down the shaft of Harry's wand as it was aimed between his eyes.

"I told you last time that I would start breaking bones if you attempted anything again", Harry reminded him casually. "Do not test my word", he warned.

Rudolphus seemed to ponder his predicament for a moment before stepping back, the look of fury still etched on his face.

"It seems that you are capable of learning something Rudy", Harry mocked. "The Professors will be pleased that there's hope for you yet".

Rudolphus simply snarled before barging his way through the students, followed by his usual lackeys.

Harry caught sight of a smirking Bellatrix before she too left but not before mouthing the word 'Wednesday' to him.

He nodded stiffly and sighed internally, still feeling unsure about working with the girl once again.

"Come on, let's get our homework done out the way, we have training to do tomorrow", Remus suggested.

The others agreed and they made their way to the library to get a head start as they had gotten in to the habit of doing.

 _(BREAK)_

Alastor Moody had experienced a very frustrating and trying week since he had been assigned to learn as much as he could about Harry Potter. The simple fact was he was stumped. Wherever he tried to get any information pertaining the boy he had drawn a blank, it was as though the boy did not exist.

The only information he had managed to gain was in the form of a rumour from an overhead conversation between Pollux Black and a man he was not familiar with in the Hog's Head, and Alastor Moody did not put much faith in rumours. He had exhausted all possible avenues besides one and that is what led him making his way through the corridors of Hogwarts to meet with Dumbledore. It was a last resort for the grizzled auror because now the man would know that he was taking an interest in one of his students but he felt like that he had been left with no choice. If anyone knew anything about the boy, other than the Potters, then that person would be Albus Dumbledore.

"Milky way", he growled as he reached the statue of the gargoyle that allowed him entry to the door of the Headmaster.

"Come in Alastor", the man beckoned even before Moody knocked.

He entered the room and took the offered seat, watching as the man placed one those muggle sweets in his mouth.

"It has been a long time since you have visited me here", Dumbledore acknowledged. "I assume this is not a social visit".

"No", Moody agreed. "I have come to ask what you know about the new Potter boy, the minister has taken quite an interest in him", the auror explained.

"He is a very interesting boy indeed", Dumbledore observed. "But alas, there is very little I can tell you".

Moody shook his head.

"You and I have been friends for decade Albus, I know you know something about the boy", he sighed.

"Indeed, but there is nothing I can tell you Alastor, the Potters are very secretive as you well know", Dumbledore returned. "May I assume that you tried everything you could think of before coming to me?" he asked.

Moody nodded.

"It's as though he does not exist", he grumbled. "I have checked every school I can think of in Europe and asked everyone who I could think of and nothing", he growled irritably. "The only thing I heard was a ridiculous rumour that the boy killed Antonin Dolohov in a duel", he finished with a bark of laughter.

At that revelation Dumbledore's demeanor became grave before he sighed.

"That is just about the only thing I can confirm", he conceded.

"It's true?", Moody questioned, clearly in shock.

"It is", Dumbledore confirmed. "It was a duel over family matters".

Moody shook his head in disbelief.

""The boy must be damn good", he whispered.

"He is very talented Alastor, and I must warn you he takes his privacy very seriously, it would not be prudent to pry any further", he suggested.

"You don't seem that worried about him, he's a sixteen year old boy capable of killing a world dueling champion and you seem very unconcerned", Moody observed.

It was Dumbledore's turn to sigh as he shook his head.

"I cannot tell you anymore than I have, but I know he is a good boy, he has proven that by the way he defends those who can't, but yes he does leave me cause for concern at times, particularly with the ruthless way in which he deals with threats against him and those he care about".

Moody frowned.

"Is there any possibility that he will be a problem in the future?", he asked. "Could he join him?'

Dumbledore shook his head firmly.

"That is one thing we do not need to be concerned about, in fact I believe that young Harry opposes Tom more than anyone else and intends on bringing him down personally".

Moody's eyebrows rose significantly at that statement.

"And you will let him try?".

"No one could stop him if we wanted to, I am sure if we tried then we would also become an enemy of the boy".

Moody again shook his head.

"We can't have a rogue teen out there trying to do the aurors job", he stated.

"Then you will have to find a use for him when the time is right", Dumbledore urged. "He could be a very powerful ally for the ministry in these trying times and I'm sure what he can offer would be invaluable to the war effort",

"And you would condone a sixteen year old boy fighting in a war?", Moody questioned sceptically.

"Never", the older man denied. "But he will fight regardless of what he is told and it is much better to have him as an ally than another issue", Dumbledore advised.

Moody nodded his agreement.

"I have a lot to think about", he grumbled. "But I had better let Bagnold know what I have learnt, she's very eager to get some information on the boy".

"Ahh, but you have very little to tell her", Dumbledore reminded him. "Mere speculation between two friends", he explained, gesturing between the two.

Moody frowned in thought before shaking his head once more.

"Your hunches seem to right usually", he shrugged.

"Yes", Dumbledore conceded. "But in my later years they seem to be less so".

Moody barked in laughter before shaking the mans hand and leaving the castle in a very thoughtful mood. It seemed now he had more questions he wanted answering than before his meeting with the Headmaster and he felt the sense of frustration set in again as he apparated to the entrance of the ministry.

He made his way through the atrium and into the lifts to meet with the Minister, something he had been instructed to do the moment he had any information. He simply walked past the assistant stationed in front of the office and rapped his knuckles smartly against the solid oak door.

"Come in Alastor", the minister sighed irritably.

Clearly Moody was the only one who had the audacity to knock on her door without being announced and he smirked at the tone of her voice as he entered the room.

"I hope that you have come to give me some good news", she stated as she offered the man a seat.

"Not exactly", Moody growled as he sat down.

The minister sighed.

"You have been looking into this for over a week and you have nothing?", Bagnold asked exasperatedly.

"From what I have come to understand there is nothing to find out, I even went to Dumbledore as a last resort and there is nothing but rumours and speculation, but Albus thinks the lad is good", he finished with a shrug.

Bagnold shook her head.

"I don't like it Alastor", she sighed. "I guess for now we will leave it but I want you to keep an eye on the boy when you can", she requested.

"Aye", Moody agreed.

"For now though I have a more pressing concern that I wish for you to look into".

Moody nodded and waited for his new task, keen to be doing something other than chasing what he deemed to be a ghost.

"The European Dueling Championships are due to start in the summer and I sent Antonin the missive about it a week ago, I've even had the auror's at his home yet there is no sign of him, I need you to track him down", she all but demanded.

Moody shook his.

"You won't find him, he's dead", Moody replied bluntly.

"Dead, how?", the minister asked disbelievingly she shot to her feet, clearly alarmed by the news.

"Apparently he was killed by the very same Potter we have been looking into", he shrugged.

"Then why hasn't the boy been arrested?", Bagnold demanded angrily. "And you said there was nothing to tell", se reminded him.

"Because it was a family sanctioned duel", Moody explained. "And the ministry cannot interfere in family matters", he reminded her.

Bagnold sunk back into her seat defeated.

"He would have won us the championship", she grumbled.

A triumphant look quickly replaced the one despair and she looked towards Moody excitedly.

"Unless we convince Potter to do it", she declared. "If he beat Antonin then he may be our best chance".

Moody shook his head.

"The boy is sixteen, I don't think that's a good idea", he deadpanned.

"Oh pish, I'm sure he would do it if he were offered something in return", she mused aloud. "That is your next assignment Alastor, I want you to convince the boy to do it", she instructed.

"I don't know the boy", Moody pointed out.

"Hmm, we are rather pressed for time, maybe we should just invite him in and ask him, we have nothing to lose at this point".

"But we haven't seen him duel, he may have gotten lucky", Moody tried.

"Then we test him", Bagnold replied irritably.

"I don't like it", Moody growled.

"We have very little choice right now, unless you will do it?", she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Moody shook his head.

"I have spent too long as an auror to duel competitively and I am too old", he grumbled.

"Then Potter it is", Bagnold reiterated.

Moody simply remained silent. He did not agree with his boss's decision but there was very little he could do about it.

 _(BREAK)_

It was the very early hours of the next morning that found Harry wandering the halls of the castle under his invisibility cloak with the map clutched in his hands as he made the trip towards the second floor to investigate the chamber of secrets.

He had managed to shrink and silence a rooster during the previous days care of magical creatures class, a rooster which was currently shifting in his pocket irritably. He had previously had no desire to revisit the chamber in any way but the thought of additional knowledge had him succumbing to the new found desire to look into it. At the very least he had experience of the place and though it felt as though Tom was trying to lead him into a trap, he couldn't swallow down his curiosity.

He reached the bathroom and thankfully found it empty, he had no desire to converse with an emotional Myrtle today. Approaching the sink in which he knew hid the entrance to the chamber, he immediately spotted the small snake engraving etched into the bronze tap.

" _Open",_ he whispered.

As it had done before, the sink descended and revealed the tunnel that would lead him to the chamber of secrets. After taking a deep breath Harry propelled himself down the slide feeling a rush of exhilaration as he travelled through the very bowels of the castle and reached the bottom, hitting the ground with a soft thump.

He lit his wand as he made his way through the familiar twists and turns of the crudely carved stone caverns and managed to suppress the shudder of fear he felt as he passed the shedded skin of the basilisk, a reminder of how big the creature was.

He reached the door to the main chamber much quicker than he expected to and braced himself before opening it and entering.

The first thing he noted was how truly beautiful it was, something he had failed to see on his one other excursion here, though he had been focused on more pressing matters at the time.

The stone carvings of the room had been expertly crafted, something that even with the use of magic would have taken a considerable amount of time to complete. He made his way across the stone floor and paused at the statue of Slytherin himself and looked upon the man whose legend lived on to this very day.

He was a lithely built man with sharp, aristocratic features and eyes, that even in stone form, exuded intelligence and power. As he looked upon one of the founders of the school Harry could not help but feel that Salazar Slytherin was a man who could easily command respect and it would be a respect willingly given by those he met.

" _Who is it? Who is there?",_ amuffled voice sounded from within statue itself.

Harry felt his blood freeze at the sound of the voice. His prior encounter with the owner of the voice had left him on the brink of death, an encounter he certainly had no intentions of experiencing again.

" _Speak up youngling, I can smell you",_ the voice spoke again though it was much more calm and serene this time.

He took a deep breath and was about to reply when he was cut off by a deep sigh.

" _Have you come to kill me for what I have done child? Is that why you have bought with you what I fear most?",_ the basilisk asked.t

Harry was more than a little taken aback by the sorrowful and somewhat defeatist tone the snake spoke with but he steeled himself to answer. He initially had no plans to interact with the beast if possible but it seemed that the choice had been taken from him.

He swallowed and attempted to bring some moisture back to his dry mouth before responding.

" _I must if you force me to"._

" _I do not wish to battle a speaker, I am here to serve those that find the chamber of my first master, nothing more or nothing less",_ the snake replied.

Harry frowned at the words and shoo his head slightly.

" _So if I were to command you to attack students in the school you would have to obey?"._

" _Yes, as my first master explained, I must obey all commands of his sons and daughters that find this place",_ the basilisk answered, it's voice laced with reluctance.

Harry frowned and pondered what he had been told before addressing the serpent once more.

" _Do you not like hunting and killing?",_ he asked confusedly.

" _No youngling I do not, I merely obey those that speak my tongue as decreed by the debt to my first master, I need only feed once every half millennia, it is the magic that created me that sustains my life. That is why us of the royal serpents live in solitude, we are hunted should we try to live amongst men and creatures because we are feared above all others"._

The teen felt a stab of sympathy for the beast as he remembered his days at the Dursley, where he too had been forced to serve them and do what he was bid.

" _I'm sorry",_ the teen whispered.

The snake let out a low growl which sounded much like a gentle chuckle.

" _There is nothing to be sorry for youngling, my life has mostly been good, a life I only have because my first master saved me from those that were trying to kill me",_ the basilisk returned. _"He brought me here so that I could live safely and protect those under his charge if necessary, though it never was. He was a great and powerful man and never called upon me to defend him or the school which stands above us, it was those that preceded him that commanded me to carry out their work"._

Harry nodded and frowned once more.

" _How many masters have you had?",_ he asked with genuine curiosity.

" _Only two others, the direct son of my first master and the one that named himself Tom_ _and now you youngling"._

Harry shook his head.

" _I do not wish to be your master",_ he explained.

The creature was silent for a moment before it replied.

" _But I must obey you so you are my master, and if you wish to kill me then I shall surrender myself to you youngling"._

The teen felt another stab of emotion, this time sadness at the willingness the creature demonstrated to obey him, even knowing that it could be killed by doing so.

" _What if I were to command you to stay within this chamber and never harm a person again?",_ he asked.

" _Then you would be giving me the same command that my first master gave",_ was the answer he received, the voice holding a sense of longing and hope in its tone.

Harry nodded.

" _And if you were able to request anything from me, what would you ask?",_ he questioned further.

Silence reigned as the snake was clearly thinking about what the teen had asked.

" _I would only want two things",_ the serpent answered hesitantly. _"My first master gave me warmth so that I could sleep comfortably in here and secondly, I wish only to sleep",_ it answered a little desperately. _"I am over a thousand years old, very old indeed even for one of my kind and I only desire to sleep until I must feed once more in over four centuries time",_ it added.

Harry smiled at the simplicity of what the snake required but was hesitant to comply.

" _You should not fear me youngling for my life would be forfeit if I were to attack you",_ the basilisk explained as though it sensed his reluctance.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

' _It must have only attacked me because it saw Tom as its master before',_ he deduced inwardly.

If what the snake had said was true then he need not kill it and it would simply remain in the chamber and sleep as it clearly wanted to. He had no idea how but he knew the snake was sincere in its requests and wanted nothing more than to sleep and be left alone, a wish that Harry was happy to grant.

" _OK",_ he agreed. _"I will open the room and make it more comfortable for you"._

" _Thank you youngling",_ the snake returned, the relief evident in its voice.

Harry readied to defend himself if it did become necessary and hissed the command for the door to open, closing his eyes as he heard the scraping of the stone.

He heard another low growl of amusement and the sound of the heavy body of the snake as it slithered from its enclosure.

" _My sight will only cause you harm if I wish it to youngling",_ the basilisk informed him.

Harry opened one eye by the smallest margin and could see the outline of great beasts face staring at him. Instead of the bright yellow eyes that Myrtle had described to him several years ago, he saw that they were a light sapphire colour and he opened his own fully to get his first glance of the creature. Just as large as he remembered it to be it was indeed a very intimidating sight to behold but the lack of aggressiveness allowed him to view the creature for what it was and truly appreciate its magnificence.

He found the expression looking back at him to be one of confusion and contemplation.

The snake moved it's head tentatively closer to the boy and sniffed deeply before closing its eyes and withdrawing, pushing itself off the floor to stand at its full height.

The snake seemed to swallow deeply before it spoke, its voice now barely a whisper.

" _We have never met, yet I can smell me within you, how is this youngling?",_ it asked gently.

Harry looked up at the basilisk and found himself swallowing in a similar manner.

" _We have met once before, but you won't remember because for you it hasn't happened yet",_ he began nervously.

The snake merely nodded and waited for the boy to continue.

" _I was born in a different time, one in the future and we met then"_ , he explained.

" _A time where you were not my master",_ the basilisk guessed.

Harry nodded.

" _And I was forced to attack you?"_ it questioned further, opening its eyes once more, a look of deep sadness marring its features _._

" _Yes",_ Harry confirmed quietly looking down towards the floor.

" _Was I killed?"._

Harry could only nod.

" _I am pleased you survived my child, and even more pleased that we met like this",_ it hissed genuinely.

Harry looked up in confusion to see the snake staring back at him with something akin to affection and respect.

" _But I killed you",_ he pointed out.

" _Only so you could live, which would not have happened had the bird not helped, you killed me as I almost killed you"._

Harry nodded.

" _I do not wish to know what happened my child, I can see the memories are unpleasant, but you carry some of myself in you and that makes you my youngling, something I never thought I could have",_ it continued fondly.

" _Are you a female?",_ Harry asked, surprised that the thought had yet to cross his mind.

The snake growled gently again.

" _I am an egg carrier, but the first men hurt me so I could not birth anymore of my kind",_ it explained sadly. _"But here you are, though not of my kin, you are of me in a different way",_ she added happily.

Harry's eyebrows rose at the seemingly affectionate nature of the creature and smiled softly at its maternal desires.

" _Do you have a name?",_ he asked.

" _My first master named me Sura",_ she answered somewhat dreamily. _"But it has been many centuries since it has been spoken",_ she added sadly.

" _Sura",_ Harry whispered. _"I like it",_ he declared.

The snake seemed to stand more tall and proud as it once more looked down on the boy.

" _And what of you youngling, what name were you given by your carrier?"._

" _My mother named me Harry"._

The basilisk seemed to snort and shook its head.

" _Harry is no name for a snake child, so I shall just call you youngling"._

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

" _What is it you would like me to add to the room?",_ he asked.

" _My first master made me a circle of fire, that is all I wish for"._

Harry nodded and climbed into the large mouth of the statue from which the snake had emerged. He frowned as he lit his wand noting that the room had become very dusty. He shook his head and waved his wand to dispel the dust, noticing that there was a tunnel at the far end of the cavernous room.

" _Sura, what is through that tunnel?"._

" _That is where my first and second master would study",_ the snake explained as she slithered her way back into the room.

" _Not the third?",_ Harry asked, clearly surprised that Tom would not have found the place.

The snake shook its head.

" _My third master never came in here, he found the small library outside and worked in there"._

Harry almost laughed at the thought of Voldemort missing a clearly significant part of the chamber.

" _I will light your fire for you and then have a look",_ he decided aloud.

The basilisk simply nodded happily and coiled itself up tightly and looked at the boy, waiting for him to proceed. Harry made his way to the entrance of the tunnel and waved his wand, conjuring a bright ring of fire that circled itself around the creature who sight contently before sinking deeper within itself.

When he was sure that the creature was comfortable he turned away from her and made his way into the tunnel to see what the rest of the chamber held. The conjured flames lit the tunnel for the first few feet but he soon found himself needing to light his wand once more and dispatch of several centuries worth of dust as he went.

The tunnel was much shorter than he had anticipated and it was only after a moment of walking he could see a wall in the very distance. It was not the wall however that had him pausing mid stride but the portrait that adorned it.

The man cut quite the imposing figure in statue form but looking on him in finer detail, there was no comparison. The eyes shone with a deep intelligence and seemed to stare into the teen's very soul. The bright emerald of the younger of two met the jade of the older and they simply stared at one another for a few moments before the painting broke the silence.

"So Shevah did manage to find himself a wife", Slytherin stated simply.

Harry frowned in confusion and shook his head.

"Excuse me?", he asked dumbly.

"Is he your father or perhaps your grandfather?", the portrait continued a little irritably.

Harry shook his head in denial as he realised what the man was implying.

"Neither, we are not related as far as I know".

The man in the portrait frowned and looked closer at the boy before shaking his head.

"You look like my family and you clearly possess the talent to get past Sura", he returned.

Harry could admit that there was quite a resemblance between the two and the fact that he was a parselmouth only added to the similarities. Nonetheless he held up his hands in a placating manner before speaking again.

"We really are not related, anything we have in common is coincidental and as far as I know you only have one blood relative alive and he won't be for much longer if I have anything to say about it".

The man in the portrait glared at the teen before narrowing his eyes.

"You had better have a good reason for trying to end my line boy", he warned.

Harry nodded stiffly.

"Well?", Slytherin prompted, wanting the boy to explain himself.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"It's a very long story".

"Well its not like I am going anywhere boy", the man pointed out.

Harry nodded and told the man everything he knew about Voldemort and what he had done to the wizarding and to Harry personally. He explained that Tom would use his relation to the founder to gather support and justify himself and his actions.

The man listened with rapt attention, his face an impassive mask as he did so though Harry did notice his expression harden at times. When he was finished the man turned his back on the teen for a few moments before shaking his head.

"This boy did all of those things?", he questioned dangerously.

"He did", Harry confirmed truthfully.

"He used Sura to do his bidding?, He killed those without magic in my name?, He is attempting to subjugate the wizarding world?, he ground out.

Harry could only nod and watch as the man grew furious.

" _Then the bastard is no blood of mine",_ he hissed.

He began pacing backwards and forwards within the painting, occasionally pausing before looking at Harry calculatingly. He eventually paused and took a deep breath before addressing the boy once more.

"For what my family has done to yours I offer you my apologies young man", Slytherin offered with a bow.

Harry returned the bow respectively and waited for the man to proceed.

"Clearly my name has fallen considerably in the years that my body perished", he spoke sadly. "We were once among the most respected, but not for our power or through fear but because of our dedication to teaching those of youth, something that I took seriously as did my father and his father before him and now it seems that one has taken my legacy and manipulated into something foul and I assure you young man that I find such actions reprehensible".

Harry was taken aback by how sincere and passionate the man sounded. It was clear to the teen that whatever people believed about Salazar Slytherin, they were very far off the mark.

"Tell me young man, what did happen to Shevah? He promised to return and carry out my instructions but I guess he did not forgive me after our last argument", he sighed.

"I'm sorry but I haven't heard of Shevah, was he your son?"

"Yes, he came here a few times to study but after I refused to allow him access to certain books he left".

Harry again dragged his hand through his hair.

"I don't know what happened to him, but if he was your son then he must have been dead for almost one thousand years", Harry explained.

The man in the painting seemed to pale and he sunk into the chair behind him.

"It's been a thousand years?", he choked.

Harry confirmed it with a firm nod.

The man simply looked distraught and swallowed deeply.

"She promised to wait for me, but it was only supposed to be temporary, until Shevah carried out my instructions", he mumbled sadly.

"I'm sorry?", Harry questioned.

"My wife, Dhalia. We agreed that I would store a magical essence of myself within the portrait to guide our son if he should need but Shevah was supposed to destroy the painting as he got older and no longer needed me", Slytherin explained. "With my magical essence in here I cannot pass on, it's similar to what a ghost becomes if they choose not to pass on", he explained.

Harry offered the man a sad smile as the understanding sunk in.

"So she has been waiting for you all this time", he stated.

"I can only hope".

Harry could not find the words to even offer comfort to the man. He himself was skeptical about the after life but he knew that Slytherin came from a time where belief in such things was much more prominent and he himself was only sixteen years old, he knew he was in no position to judge or question the mans views.

"Young man, I have no right to ask you for anything but would it be possible for you to carry out what my son failed to do?", he pleaded. "In return I will grant you entrance to my room beyond the portrait and everything within will become yours, he offered.

Harry looked at the man and shook his head gently.

"I once wished for the same thing, to be reunited with those that I loved more than anything, and I got my wish, I won't accept payment for granting someone the same thing if I can".

Slytherin looked at him calculatingly once more and smiled a genuine smile.

"And that is why I want you to have it young man, even in my time good men were far and few between, use it well".

Harry nodded his agreement and flicked his wand into his wand.

"You will need to be able to use the cursed flames, it is the only way to break the enchantment and you must use the Slytherin tongue", the man instructed firmly.

Harry took a deep breath and braced himself.

" _Fiendfyre",_ he hissed.

He watched as a flaming basilisk erupted from his wand and began devouring the painting from the base to the top, catching sight of a smiling Salazar Slytherin before the flames fully engulfed him. When he was sure that the painting was destroyed Harry placed his wand back in the holster and crossed the threshold that had been left in the wake of the charred frame. What he saw left him shaking his head but smiling amusedly.

The room was almost empty but there were a few items on the desk and one shelf of books situated above.

He noticed that the books were similar to the one on dueling he had found in the room of requirement that had been written by Salazar, this seemed to be the rest of his work on the subject.

On the desk was a silver dagger complete with a basilisk shaped handle with emerald eyes, a very old small portrait of Slytherin himself and a woman who Harry deduced was his wife and a simple silver ring that was decorated similarly to the dagger.

He gathered all the items and left the room knowing he had to make it back to the dorm before the others woke. He passed through the chamber for what he expected to be the final time before exiting the bathroom and making it back into his bed only a few minutes before Remus woke, completely unaware of the night Harry had spent with a basilisk and conversing with a portrait of one of the four founders.

 _(BREAK)_

It was the next day that things took a turn for Harry, not a completely unexpected one, but not something he had anticipated happening so soon.

He had just completed his own morning training and had spent the time experimenting with some of the spells he had found in the recently acquired Slytherin books and arrived in the common room to find the rest of the marauders in their usual spot whispering conspiringly, whispering which ceased as he approached them.

"What's going on?", he asked as he took his seat.

The rest of the group shared a nervous look and seemed to have a silent debate on who would speak. It was Sirius that eventually broke the silence.

"Marlene wants to join our group with Lily and Alice", he sighed.

"And Frank", James added.

Harry dragged a hand through his hair and sighed himself.

"How did this come about?", he questioned with a frown.

"Marlene asked where we kept disappearing to when we weren't in class", Sirius shrugged.

"And Frank was looking for you earlier wanting to talk about Quidditch", James explained. "I told him you were training and he said he would speak to you about it".

Harry nodded his understanding.

"You guys know me really well and I guess Lily does too but the others don't and might not understand why I train the way I do", he began.

"We don't understand why either Harry", Remus broke in.

Harry nodded again.

"James does", he replied simply.

The three other boys looked towards James questioningly and he shook his head, a clear indication that he would not explain.

"Frank's Dad is an Auror also and if he finds out then I would probably be locked up for teaching certain things".

"Then don't teach them all of it", Sirius suggested. "Just give them some lessons on things that will be useful to defend themselves with just in case".

Harry sighed and nodded.

He had already considered this being something he would have to deal with.

"OK", he agreed. "Bring them along this afternoon to the classroom on the fourth floor, we will keep the other one just for us for the time being".

The others agreed with the green eyed teen and readied themselves to attend their classes for the day.

Throughout the morning Harry pondered what he had agreed to and quickly came to the conclusion that he had made the right decision in deciding to add the others to their training schedule. In truth he didn't understand why he had felt a slight hesitation to agree to it initially but the moment he realised this truly could make a difference to how the future would pan out, any hesitation he had felt disappeared immediately.

The fact was that all of the people he would be helping now had either perished in his previous time line or had experienced a fate worse than death. The only exceptions to this was Peter, as he himself had not exactly gone on to a live a desirable existence and Remus, who had not faired well either.

It was with these thoughts in mind that Harry arrived at the classroom in question after lunch to await the arrival of the others.

It was not a long wait as the others entered the room only a few minutes after himself, Lily and Alice looking confused, Marlene hand in hand with Sirius, smiling and Frank trailing at the back talking excitedly to the other three marauders.

"Are you going to tell us why we are here?", Lily asked, having clearly been kept in the dark as to why they had been brought to the classroom.

Harry frowned and shot a look towards Sirius and Marlene, of whom he thought had explained everything.

"Well, after what happened in Hogsmeade I thought we needed to be better prepared", Marlene answered. "I asked Sirius where he learnt how to fight like that and…", she broke off with a casual shrug and a point towards Harry.

"You're going to teach us?", Lily questioned, her frown turning into a look of excitement.

Harry nodded, dragged his hands through his hair and looked at the new arrivals, a sense of unexplainable nervousness setting in.

"I am, but I have a few rules", he sighed.

"Rules?", James cut in. "We haven't had rules", he pointed out.

Harry sighed.

"Things will be a little different, I've only taught you spells and shown you magic that you can learn from books in the library and restricted section at worst but after what happened in Hogsmeade, it's not enough", he conceded.

"We did well in Hogsmeade", Sirius interjected.

"We did, but both Remus and Peter were injured and in all honesty it should have been worse, we got lucky and only because they didn't start firing off killing curses straight away did those three live", Harry returned gravely gesturing towards the three girls.

The others appeared to be pondering what he had said and paled as the reality of how lucky that had been became apparent.

"Shit", Sirius whispered in realisation.

The mood of the group became a little somber and Harry allowed them time to reflect. It hadn't been until Croaker had made him relive the times he had been in mortal peril had he become much more conscious and deliberate in his actions. Yes, he still had a tendency to act quickly but he would at least consider what it was he was about to do instead of being so brash and unaware of what the outcome could be.

He was pulled from his thoughts by James, who was sounding very serious and determined, the usual light-hearted tone completely absent from his voice.

"So what will be different?"

"Well, I'm going to leave it up to you guys to bring the others up to speed on what we've done so far", Harry began.

The marauders nodded their understanding.

"The first thing I'll work on with you all is spell identity and how to defend yourselves against different types of spells", he continued, knowing how important it was to know what shield was cast to protect from them accordingly.

"That's important", Lily agreed. "But what are the rules?".

Harry again dragged his hands through his hair.

"Firstly, what happens in here or anything you see stays between us", he requested sternly.

"Why?", Alice asked.

"Because some of the spells and magic I will show you is frowned upon here, some bordering on illegal, so if you can't keep it to yourself I can't teach you".

The girls looked surprised and a little worried whereas Frank looked more curious, a look that Harry did not miss.

"I know your Dad is an Auror Frank, but you can't say a word to him".

Frank chuckled and held his hands up in a placating manner.

"My Dad will be glad I'm learning it, he's an Auror but to him it's a job, I know he'd do whatever he had to, to make sure he came home at the end of the day, shit, he knows more than a few questionable spells himself".

Harry nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

"How do you know this kind of magic?", Marlene piped up, looking at Harry questioningly.

"And that brings me on to the second rule", he sighed. "You can ask me anything you like and I won't lie to you, but if I refuse to answer then I just want you to respect that. You have to remember that my education has been very different to yours, the magic I know is not as frowned upon everywhere else".

"Why won't you tell us where you were taught?", Alice questioned.

"Because it is a family thing", he replied dismissively. "Some of the spells you might see I can't teach you also because they aren't mine to teach, I had to give magical vows not to share them", he added thinking back to the training and lessons in magic with Filmore and his team.

The others nodded their agreement. They all knew the severity of breaking a magical vow.

"They are the only two rules I guess", Harry shrugged. "Shall we begin?"

The group became attentive as Harry thought best where to start.

"What do you know about the unforgivables?", he asked as he began to pace in front of them thoughtfully, offering one and all to answer.

"They can't be stopped with a magical shield", Lily answered.

Harry nodded.

"And that is the main reason they are as frowned upon as they are", Harry replied.

The rest of the group looked a little confused so Harry decided to elaborate, again thinking back to his lessons with the unspeakables on the matter.

"Let's look at each curse and the effects they have", he suggested. "The imperious can be fought against if you are mentally strong enough to do so, but the immediate spell leaves no physical injury and the spell cannot be shielded against magically as Lily pointed out", he continued. "It is because of the intention of the spell that gives it its dark reputation because you can essentially subject someone to your will and have them carry out any task you set them".

The others nodded and waited for him to proceed.

"Mostly, the spell is used for nefarious reasons, but can any of you think of a time it could be beneficial?".

Frank coughed nervously before he spoke.

"If someone was trying to commit suicide you could put it on them to stop it", he stated questioningly.

"Exactly", Harry praised. "And what does that tell you?".

"That it is the intention of the spell, not the spell itself that is dark", Lily whispered.

Harry nodded and smiled at how quickly they were reaching that conclusion.

"I could just as easily levitate someone off of a building as I could force them to do it under the imperious curse", he explained.

The rest of the teens shared looks of understanding, though Harry could still see they were nervous.

"What about the killing curse?", Marlene asked. "There's no good that can come from that".

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"The killing curse is a mercy killing at worst and compared to a lot of other ways you can be killed, that would be a pleasant way to go. The main reason that is illegal is because you truly have to have hate towards someone to use it on them or truly want them dead for strong enough reasons", he explained.

"I don't get it", Alice broke in.

"The fact is that you can't shield against it magically and there is no cure to it, but it can be defended against quite easily through transfiguration or moving out of the way, it is easier to defend against because you know you can't shield against it", Harry pointed out.

Alice frowned but nodded to show she understood a little more.

Harry sighed and conjured a transparent human sized dummy in which the structure of the skeleton and organs could be seen.

"The killing curse leaves no mark and death is instantaneous and painless, but if I were to cast it in here the aurors would arrive in minutes to lock me up for life only for the reason of it's unforgivable status but I can fire much more painful and debilitating things that will kill you slowly and get away it without any issues".

To give an example he gave a casual flick of his wand towards the dummy, sending a bolt of purple flame towards it.

The rest of them watched in shock and horror as a large jagged laceration appeared on the flesh and the organs inside became a dark, tar like substance and began leaking out of the orifices of the body.

They were all silent for two minutes as they watched in morbid curiosity as the majority of what used to be organs leaked out and only turned their attention back to a very grave looking Harry once it had trickled down to the occasional thud of goo splashing into the already impressive pool.

"What the hell was that?", Marlene asked worriedly.

"That was an organ-liquefying curse", Harry answered darkly. "Completely missies the bones and as you can see, turns your organs into jelly, a slow and painful death I imagine", he mused.

The others nodded their agreement, still looking a little green.

"I think I'd take the killing curse over that any day", Peter muttered.

"See what I mean now?", Harry asked.

Again the others nodded.

"What makes what I did so dangerous?", he questioned further.

"Because we didn't know what spell it is", Lily answered.

"And why is that?".

"Because you didn't use an incantation", Frank cut in.

"The unforgivable along with Fiendfyre, the Patronus, the Fidelius and enchanting magic has to be vocalized", Harry explained firmly.

"And that is why they are easier to defend against", Alice conceded. "Because you at least know what is coming".

"Now you get it", Harry praised her.

"What about the cruciatus? My Dad told me about it and that can't be used for anything could", Frank cut in with a shudder.

Harry's expression darkened as the memories of being put under the curse surfaced.

"It is the worst of the three", he stated simply. "Originally, like most spells of the nature, it was used medically as a way to cure paralysis, it targets the nerves and fires them back into life", he explained. "But they have potions for that now and the curse is more painful beyond comprehension, more painful than you could ever imagine enduring without dying", he continued severely. "It's a pain I can't even put into words", he finished knowingly.

"Have you felt it?", Lily asked disbelievingly, gathering the attention of the room, none apart from Harry noticing the heartbroken expression that James was wearing.

Harry nodded mutely and quickly decided to change the subject, not wanting to be asked any questions on the matter.

"The point is that although they are very dangerous curses they are quite simple to defend against, especially compared to others, but for now I will show you how to defend against things like the organ liquefying curse", he informed them.

The group spent the next couple of hours learning to identify different types of curses and the best way to defend against them under the tutelage of Harry who was surprised and pleased at how quickly they all took to it. The surprise did not last long however when he remembered that both Frank and Alice had become successful Aurors and along with the rest of the group, minus Peter, were crucial members of the order of the phoenix.

It was when Harry decided that they had been put through their paces enough that he dismissed them and was approached by James as the others headed for the door.

"When?", the other boy questioned him sadly.

"What do you mean?", Harry asked confusedly.

"The cruciatus", James whispered.

Harry sighed and could not ignore the pleading look he was being given.

"When I was fourteen", he answered, checking that the others weren't listening in.

James swallowed deeply and shook his head.

"I should have been there", he choked.

Harry smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You were there when I needed you the most", he said cryptically. "You both were", he added as he nodded towards the redhead.

James frowned but was cut off before he could speak.

"I'll explain some other time but it was the first time I heard you both speak without it being the night I lost you, but trust me, you were there when I needed you and I wouldn't of gotten out of there alive without you both", he finished sincerely.

James smiled weakly and nodded.

"Come on you two, quidditch practice", Frank commanded firmly, pointing to his watch.

The two boys chuckled as they followed the qudditch fanatic from the room, James putting an arm around Harry's shoulder and pulling him closer a little tighter than he had intended to.

' _It's really hard being your brother sometimes Harry',_ he sighed inwardly.

 _(BREAK)_

Albus Dumbledore was pouring over the sheaf of parchment that Professor Mortlake had handed him moments ago, a sheaf of parchment that listed all of the students that had signed up for the dueling tournament. He sighed as he looked at the sixth year names and shook his head as he frowned.

"Did Mr. Potter not sign up?", he asked confusedly.

Mortlake snorted.

"Would there be any point in having it if he did?", he asked rhetorically. "We both know the boy would wipe the floor with anyone here and from what Flitwick has said, that includes the staff", he grumbled.

Dumbledore popped a sherbet lemon into his mouth and hummed thoughtfully. H had been convinced this was not an opportunity that Harry would pass up, but then again the boy was rather reluctant to demonstrate his skill in such a way unless he deemed it necessary.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door as another visitor arrived, one he wasn't expecting back so soon.

"Come in Alastor", he beckoned.

The man in question walked into the office and took the offered chair, sighing in frustration as he did so.

"What brings you here this evening?", Dumbledore asked, already having an idea as to why the auror was present.

"The minister", Moody growled as he shook his head. "I may have mentioned the business with Potter and Dolohov and now she is convinced the boy can compete in the European championships".

"Oh dear", Dumbledore sighed, feeling the onset of a headache kicking in.

"Aye, she's going to invite the boy for a trial", Moody continued.

Dumbledore suddenly sat a little more straight in his chair, dozens of thoughts running through his mind.

"This could be beneficial", he mused as he stroked his beard.

"The boy is only sixteen Albus", Moody growled irritably. "I don't know how he beat Antonin, but I imagine there's more to it", he stated knowingly.

Dumbledore sighed and sunk back into his chair.

"Indeed", he conceded. "It seems that Antonin had been dosed with several potions before the duel, from what Mr. Potter has said".

Moody scoffed but was cut off.

"Mr. Potter doesn't have to compete but the trial will give us an insight into what he is capable of", the headmaster pointed out. "Is that not what your task is", he questioned the other man.

"Aye", Moody agreed.

"Potter is probably the most capable student I have ever come across", Mortlake broke in, the reluctance in his admission clear. "But an international dueling tournament, I have my doubts. And we all know that Bagnold will have him competing one way or another if that is what she wants".

"Mr. Potter has proven himself resourceful, I am sure he will find a way to benefit from the situation", Dumbledore returned diplomatically. "But I do believe that him attending the trials is an opportunity that must not be passed up".

' _For young Harry too',_ he added internally.

"So you will convince him to do it?", Moody asked incredulously.

"No", Dumbledore sighed. "I don't believe anyone can convince the boy to do anything he doesn't want to, but I will point out the benefits and hope that he is agreeable".

Dumbledore knew enough to know that Harry would indeed only do it if he truly wanted to or he could find some kind of benefit from the situation.

' _Definitely should have been a Slytherin that one',_ he chuckled internally.

 _(Break)_

It was the following morning that Harry and the rest of the Marauders were eating breakfast when a very regal looking eagle owl landed in front of him and offered the roll of parchment attached to its leg.

Harry frowned as he recognised the seal from the ministry but gave the bird a rasher of bacon and sent it on its way before turning his attention to the missive.

What he read had his eyebrows raising and feeling both shocked and a little excited.

"What is it?", James inquired.

Harry said nothing but passed the letter to the other boy and continued his trail of thought.

James took the letter and read it also, a similar expression coming across his face.

 _To Mr. Harry Potter,_

 _It is our great privilege and honour to invite you to attend this years trials to be the representative for Great Britain in the upcoming European Dueling Championships this summer._

 _The trials will take place in mid May this year and you will receive further correspondence from ourselves highlighting the dates in which these will take place._

 _If successful, you will have the stand alone honour in competing for your country on one of the grandest stages of them all in the dueling circuit._

 _We very much look forward to seeing you in May,_

 _Simeon Jones_

 _Head of the Magical Games and Sports Department_

 _Ministry of Magic_

"Holy shit", James whispered as he looked at Harry proudly. "Are you going to do it?"

Harry shrugged and watched in amusement as Sirius fidgeted in his chair before losing patience and snatching the letter from James and muttering to himself as he read it.

Harry was not entirely sure if he wanted to attend the trials or not. He did feel honoured that he had been selected, however that had come about, but he just wasn't quite sure.

He immediately could see the benefits in such a thing for himself as he would finally get an accurate grasp of how good of a fighter he had become. Since he arrived here, other than Dolohov, all of the people he had fought against had been mediocre at best and he knew this would really push him to his limits.

The downside was that these men and women were simply the best that their countries had to offer and he could not be sure if he was up to the task and it would bring a lot of attention to himself, the type of attention he was not at all fond of. He was pleased that he had a little time to consider it though and he would think about it and consider what would be best for him.

It was then that he caught sight of a very proud looking Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling madly as usual.

"Of course he knows", Harry muttered.

"You have to do it", Sirius broke in to his thoughts.

Harry looked round the four faces staring at him, clearly all having read the letter by this point.

"I will think about it, but I'm not to sure", he admitted.

"Why?", Sirius asked. "This is a hell of an opportunity".

"It is", Harry sighed. "But I have no plans on being a duelist", he pointed out.

Sirius frowned and shook his head, sharing a questioning look with the others.

James shook his head firmly, indicating the others should just drop it for now, which they did.

Harry caught sight of another person not involved with their conversation who nodded, reminding him of another promise he had to keep that day and he nodded back towards the girl at the Slytherin table in acknowledgement before sighing internally and continuing with his breakfast.

" _I forgot about that",_ he shrugged inwardly noting that today was in fact Wednesday and he had promised Bellatrix that he would help her.

"Training time", James announced as he pulled Harry to his feet and gestured for the rest of the group to join them.

"It's going to be a long day", Harry mumbled as he was dragged out of the hall.

 _(BREAK)_

It had been a long day indeed for Harry as he reached the third floor room in which he was to meet Bellatrix. Between training with the other group, homework and an impromptu quidditch session with the team, he had barely had a few minutes to himself.

He had remembered to bring the map with him, although he didn't expect any more trouble from the girl the was a part of him that couldn't relax his vigilance around her.

He watched as her dot exited the Slytherin common and began travelling towards him completely alone. When he saw that she was almost at the room he deactivated the map and placed it into his pocket and waited for her to enter.

"Hi", she greeted a little quietly as she did so and placed her bag on the floor.

She had dressed in clothes that were more befitting of dueling and tied her hair back in a loose ponytail, something Harry noticed, that made her already delicate feature appear more sound brought his attention to her high cheek bones and slightly pointed nose.

Shook himself from his thoughts and approached her.

"Hey", he greeted a little more neutrally than he had intended. "Ready?".

Bellatrix nodded.

They stood in silence for a moment before Harry shook his head and composed himself a little.

"How about we have a mock duel and then you I can see where you need help", he suggested.

"Seems like a good idea", she agreed readily as she drew her wand.

"And then if there's anything else you do want to learn you can ask", Harry offered.

Bellatrix smiled gently as she took her position on the other side of the room.

"Go when you're ready", Harry instructed and waited for her to begin.

After a moment Bellatrix began firing a few curses towards him, somewhat reluctantly and Harry noticed this. He held his hand up and frowned.

"You're holding back", he stated simply.

"I don't want to hurt you", she almost whispered.

It was clear to Harry that she was nervous but that admission left him more than a little taken aback. The last thing he ever expected to hear from her was that she did not want to hurt him, especially since his experiences of her previously had not been pleasant until he had gotten used to her in this timeline, something that had taken quite some time before the incident with the other Slytherins. Perhaps she truly did not want to hurt him or she was scared that he would see it as her truly wishing to harm him. Either way, it didn't bother him but he knew there was little he could do for her if she held back.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"I can't help you unless you show me what you've really got", he pointed out. "Trust me, I'm sure I can handle whatever it is you will throw at me".

Bellatrix looked at the boy and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Confident much?", she asked.

"You have to be confident in your own abilities to succeed", Harry returned with a grin.

He noticed that it was starting to get under her skin slightly as he goaded her with a little arrogance and he had a little brainwave.

"Come on", he sneered slightly. "Why don't you show me why everyone is so afraid of Bellatrix Black?"

Bellatrix frowned, but took the bait and began sending spells at him at an extraordinary speed, a speed which caught Harry by surprise and hastily raising a shield before setting into a rhythm of dodging and batting the aside.

What was clear to him was the potential the girl had. She was not overly powerful but she was as fast as any he had dueled with and for a few brief moments he got a glimpse of what the girl had become in his time and how dangerous she could be.

Hel held up a hand to halt her in her efforts to maim him and she stopped, breathing heavily to the point of her chest heaving and a layer of perspiration forming on her skin.

She had impressed, there was no doubt and he was thanking his lucky stars that he knew how to defend against some of the spells she shot at him which were way beyond the average student still at school.

"Good", he praised sincerely. "But I did notice a few things you do you could improve on in you the way you fight", he added.

Surprising him again Bellatrix merely nodded humbly and waited for him to explain. She did not argue or deny that there were improvements she could make and Harry had to pinch and remind himself that this was merely a sixteen year old girl, not the same loud and obnoxious woman that had spent fourteen years in Azkaban as he knew her to be.

"First thing is you become quite predictable in what kind of spell you are going to use", he began, still feeling a little odd that he was giving her advice.

"Do I?", she asked with a frown.

Harry nodded.

"You have a pattern of using a curse followed by a jinx and then an impact spell of some sort, but the combinations of spells are different" he explained.

Bellatrix continued to frown as she thought about what had been said and eventually nodded her agreement.

"I do, don't I", she sighed disappointedly.

"It's easily fixed", Harry returned dismissively, knowing it was not a difficult problem to deal with.

The girl smiled again and waited for him to continue.

"You also stand a little too square on at times and makes yourself a bigger target", he pointed out. "Particularly when you are throwing more powerful spells".

Bellatrix nodded.

"It sometimes feels like I'm off balance if I don't", she conceded.

"Another thing that is easily fixed, you just need to lower your stance a little, it gives you a better footing and makes the other person have to adjust their aim".

"You really know your stuff don't you", she replied. "Even the small details".

Harry simply shrugged and huffed amusedly.

"The last thing is that you sometimes have a tendency to elaborate your wand movements and I can see what you will cast before you do it", he explained.

"I didn't know that", Bellatrix muttered.

Harry nodded.

"The movements I notice the most a the circular ones, especially that eye-gouging curse that your great uncle invented", he continued.

She frowned again and shook her head.

"My Grandfather gave you our family magic books didn't he?", she questioned knowingly.

"Maybe", Harry returned with a grin.

Bellatrix sighed in exasperation.

"But again, you don't make many mistakes", Harry stated sincerely. "You have a few points that we can work on though, but nothing major".

"Ok, so where do we begin?", Bellatrix asked, clearly keen to begin amending her errors.

Harry thought for a moment before conjuring a training dummy and positioning himself behind her.

"I want you to start with the curses that have circular wand movements", he instructed.

She began firing off an array of spells immediately and Harry simply watched her for a few moments, enjoying the grace and majesty in which she dueled with.

He stopped her again and shook his head.

"You're still making them a little too elaborate", he explained, though not in a condescending way. "Watch me", he offered.

He took his stance in front of her and began firing off curses with blistering speed that left the girl in a state of awe at the power, speed and precision of the boy as he cast his spells.

He himself paused after a few moments and turned to face a wide eyed Bellatrix.

"That's amazing", she declared, just above a whisper. "I don't think I could ever cast like that".

Harry shook his head and returned to his position behind her.

"You might not be as powerful as me but I know you can be just as quick and precise", he replied genuinely, not noticing the blush that made its way to the girl's cheeks. "Let me help you".

Before Bellatrix could comprehend what was happening she felt the boy pressed gently, but solidly up her back and felt his hand glide down the length of her arm and grasp her own gently, the other holding her hip firmly, an action that sent a tingle down her spine. She herself didn't seem to notice that he had paused as she had lost herself in the moment and his surprisingly soft touch.

It was a moment of unguarded inspiration that found Harry stepping closer to the girl and taking control of her arm and posture as he had done may times with Sirius and the rest of the Marauders when he was training them. Realisation hit him as his hand closed over her own and he felt the warmth and softness of her flesh as he breathed in a vaguely familiar scent that had him hesitating thoughtfully, but he managed to compose himself once more before continuing, though his mouth was a little dry and her aroma lingered in the back of his mind his mind as he tried to remember where he had encountered it before.

"Try one of the spells like this", he instructed gently as he traced the wand movement expertly using his own hand to guide hers.

Bellatrix nodded mutely but followed the instructions perfectly.

"It worked", she whispered in disbelief as the spell careened from her wand.

Harry smiled and stepped back, leaving both of them with a hint of disappointing permeating throughout them.

"Now try with the others", he continued encouragingly.

Within only a few minutes the girl was casting the same spell chains at least a second faster, something that Harry knew could be a big difference in a duel or fight.

"Much better", he pointed out. "It was more fluid and faster", he added in explanation.

Bellatrix smiled brightly, something that was strange to Harry but it was not an unwelcome sight. He even had to admit that she looked radiant when she did so, a much better expression than the insane one he had become familiar with.

"How about we pick this up again same time next week?", he offered, noting that the time seemed to have passed them by this evening.

Bellatrix too noted the time, her eyebrows raising in surprise at how much had gone but nodded her agreement.

Harry turned to leave but was halted by the girl as she placed an hand on his arm, which she quickly withdrew as he turned to face her.

"Thank you", she said genuinely.

Harry smiled and nodded before turning again. This time he reached the door before he was stopped again, this time by her voice.

"Could you teach me how to do the Patronus Charm?", she blurted out, not at all used to asking people for help.

Harry nodded and approached her.

"It is a very short lesson", he shrugged as he placed his bag on the ground. "I can teach you the theory but it basically comes down to practice, but there aren't many who can produce it", he explained warningly.

Bellatrix nodded, the determination clear in her eyes.

"You have to find the happiest memory you have and focus on it, but that won't be enough", he sighed. "You have to be able to replicate the feeling and truly feel it for the spell to work and you have to be able to maintain that feeling".

"Is that all?", she asked, sounding very disappointed by how easy it sounded.

"It is much more difficult than you think it will be", Harry explained firmly.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow in disbelief and shrugged.

"How do you know what form it will take?", she asked.

"It will take the form of either your own inner animal, or something you share a connection with. It could be someone you love or someone that makes you feel safe manifested in animal form maybe both".

Bellatrix frowned but nodded.

"And the incantation is Expecto Patronum", he added.

"Expecto Patronum", she whispered. "Can you show me?", she asked.

Harry shrugged and removed his wand.

" _Expecto Patronum",_ he whispered _._

Instead of Prongs erupting from his wand, an internal battle seemed to be taking place in his very wand and he frowned as the magic built up more and more. The struggle lasted only a second before a blindingly bright light exploded from the tip of it, causing both of the occupants of the room to cover their eyes and left Harry dispelling it as quickly as possible.

"Sorry", he muttered. "It's never been that bright before", he sighed.

"It's ok", Bellatrix shrugged, feeling a little amused at the look of confusion Harry was now wearing, one that she found strangely endearing. "Same time next week", she reminded him as she exited the room quickly to hide the flush she felt coming on.

" _You don't blush",_ she chided herself internally as she headed back to her common room.

 _(BREAK)_

It was a month later that Harry found himself settled into a somewhat comfortable routine. He would complete his own training in the morning, attend his classes, train the other students in his house and then have quidditch training also, leaving very little time for himself, but he was happy that he kept busy.

For the time being it seemed that Voldemort was keeping quiet, though Harry had no doubt that he was up to something in the shadows as was his way, but there was little Harry could do while he was in the castle but he did keep a vigilant eye on the newspaper to see if any whisper about the man and his followers was published.

There had been a few things of note that had taken place, but very few that applied to the boy. The dueling tournament at the school would be starting soon, something he was looking forward to watching and he himself had decided that he would attend the trials he had been invited to, though Dumbledore still called him to his office to discuss the matter and offer his own opinion, which was surprisingly similar to Harry's.

He decided that the pros certainly outweighed the cons and that it was not an opportunity to be missed, even if he did not get selected or intended to complete beyond this particular tournament.

Along with the start of the tournament, the date for the ball had also been announced as the 19th of May, which was also the final day of the trials for European Championships, and Harry knew which one he would rather be focusing on.

With the official date announced the castle seemed to have slipped into a strange mood of people becoming bold and initiating conversations with those of the opposite sex, stating their claim and intentions to attend the ball with those people, again something Harry tried to ignore, something that was not possible with those around him.

James, Sirius and Peter were continuously harassing him to at least secure a date for the event and even when Harry pointed out that it was the same day as the trials they dismissed his reasoning as simple avoidance, something that began to annoy Harry to the point that when the ball was mentioned he would leave the vicinity immediately, not wanting to discuss the thing.

It had been playing on his mind but for him it felt more than a little strange. He noticed that there were a few girls that seemed to be around him a little more than usual, seemingly waiting for him to ask one of them to the ball, but he simply couldn't bring himself to. Whenever he considered it he would receive a gentle reminder that these girls would grow into the parents of who used to be his classmates and friends, a thought he could not shake.

He had almost convinced himself that by avoiding the conversations about the event he could bypass it altogether, but the rest of the Marauders would not let it be. They had all secured their dates, even Peter who was escorting a seventh year Hufflepuff and kept on at him whenever possible that he should do the same. It didn't even help that Remus would not be going as he would be recovering from the full moon and even the werewolf encouraged him to pick someone to take.

The only respite he seemed to get was when he spent time with Bellatrix a couple of evenings a week, having added an extra slot to their training at her request.

This part of his life was the one that had surprised him the most.

The girl had proven herself to be a very worthy student and the two had grown closer during their time together over the last four weeks, something that seemed to just happen naturally.

Harry found his time with her both relaxing and challenging as she improved immensely during their lessons but never once tried to interfere in his personal life or ask too much of him. He observed that she was less needy than the others he spent time with and the two seemed content to just be around each other, something that Harry was now getting used to. There had even been times that they didn't duel and they studied together and completed their homework.

There was no doubt in his mind that the two of them had formed some kind of friendship, though it was certainly different to any other friendship he had. They would laugh and joke together, be very serious when they were dueling and Harry found that this was the only time he truly felt relaxed, strange as that seemed to him.

He found that he began looking forward to spending time with the girl and that seeing her succeed and the subsequent smile she wore warmed him slightly as he could see how much it meant to her.

She hadn't mentioned the patronus charm since their first meeting and he figured that she was having difficulty with it, but he knew that she was very stubborn and wouldn't ask him to help her further until she couldn't take it anymore.

He didn't know why or how he could feel so relaxed around her but one thing had become clear to him: This girl was not the same woman he had come to hate.

She was very intelligent with a dry sense of humour, similar to his own and she was very witty. On top of that she was ambitious and as determined as he himself was to succeed, something he could certainly respect. Above all else though, she seemed to be the only person who had no expectations of him. She would talk with him about the most normal and mundane things and he would find himself lost in her words as she would talk about the things she was most passionate about, even admiring such a thing from someone who could seem so cold at times, something he learnt she was not.

The girl was an introvert, there was no doubt about it, but that seemed to slip away when she was with Harry and he would get a glimpse of who she truly was and he really respected and liked what he saw.

He was currently making his way down the third floor corridor, heading towards the potions class when he was stopped in his tracks by a crashing sound coming from a cupboard on his left.

Thinking that someone was in trouble he flicked his wand towards the door to open it, his eyes going wide with realisation as he saw what was happening in what he now knew was a broom cupboard, but it was one of the occupants that had him feeling a little shocked.

"For merlin's sake Andromeda", he hissed irritably.

"Harry", the girl shrieked in surprise, as she extracted herself from the boy she was sharing the space with and began covering up the small amounts of flesh that had been exposed. "Don't you know how to knock?".

"I thought someone was being attacked", Harry huffed.

"You're not far off", the other boy interjected quietly, causing Andromeda to turn an impressive shade of red.

"Shut up Ted", she whispered furiously.

Harry stifled the laughter he felt emerging as he noted who the boy must have been and fond memories of a pink haired auror surfaced.

' _Ted Tonks',_ he deduced.

"Have you not heard of locking and silencing spells?", he asked the pair.

"We got a little carried away", the other boy admitted.

Harry shook his head in amusement and began walking turned to walk away to give the pair their privacy.

"The statue of the one-eyed witch on the fifth floor, tap it with your wand and say dissendium, I'm sure you'll get all the time you need there", he called.

"Harry, wait", Andromeda shouted urgently and approached him, adjusting her robes as she did so.

"Please don't say anything", she pleaded.

Harry understood what she meant and held his hands up to calm her.

"I didn't see a thing", he shrugged.

"Thank you", the girl whispered gratefully.

Harry again shook his head in amusement as he turned away.

"Have you found a date to the ball yet?", she asked.

Harry groaned and dragged his hand through his hair.

"Not you too", he complained. "Sirius and the others keep going on at me", he grumbled.

Andromeda smirked.

"You know, I think there's someone who would really like you to ask them, and I know she hasn't been asked by anyone else yet", Andromeda returned thoughtfully, tapping her chin with a finger.

Harry frowned in confusion, completely missing the hint.

"My sister", Andromeda sighed.

Harry scoffed internally.

"I don't think your sister has much interest in events like that".

Andromeda shook her head sadly.

"That's where you're wrong", she almost whispered.

Harry frowned again and Andromeda tutted impatiently.

"When we were little Bella was the one that got excited about going to balls, she would even get dressed hours before we had to be there", she explained and smiled at the memories of her younger sister.

Harry raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I'm being serious", she reiterated. "It only changed when she came here and that's only because scum bags like Rudolphus kept trying it on with her".

Harry dragged his hand through his hair once more, not quite believing he was considering it.

"Just think about it", Andromeda requested softly. "You might not have any interest in going but you could at least show someone who does a good time and it will get the rest of them off your back", she added.

"I wouldn't want to take her just to keep them off my back", Harry unintentionally mused aloud, though it was spoken quietly.

"What?", Andromeda asked, clearly not having heard his response.

"Nothing", Harry replied dismissively as he realised he hadn't only thought that. "I'll think about it", he promised.

Andromeda smiled and turned away, leaving a very thoughtful Harry Potter to go to his potions class, a class he was now late for.

"I'm sorry I'm late sir", he apologised as he entered the dungeon room.

"Pay no mind Mr. Potter, we are just beginning", Slughorn replied in his usual jovial manner.

Harry took his place next to Peter and waited for the mans instructions.

"Today we will be brewing the antidote for the Amortentia potion, an antidote you should hope you never need", he explained with a little humour in his voice. "Now be warned", he continued firmly. "Each vial of the potion will be measured exactly and if I find even a drop missing you will be punished severely", he concluded gravely. "Now, the instructions are on the board, away you go".

Harry approached the man to retrieve some of the potion as Peter gathered the supplies they would need to brew the antidote.

His eyes widened in surprise as he caught scent of the fumes wafting from the cauldron as a now very familiar aroma reached him and he swallowed deeply at the implications.

"Something wrong Mr. Potter?", Slughorn asked worriedly, noting the apprehension on the teens face.

Harry shook his head dumbly, took the offered vial and made his way back to his seat lost in his thoughts.

' _It smells like Bellatrix',_ he admitted to himself, feeling a little panicked by what was happening. _'It smells the same as it did the first time but it is definitely her'._

"What's wrong Harry?", Peter asked, the concern on his face evident.

"Nothing", Harry answered a little quickly.

Peter shot the boy another worried glance but continued with cutting up the ingredients, leaving Harry to his thoughts, though throughout the lesson he had to stop the boy making a few basic errors, mistakes that he would never normally make.

Harry was grateful that he had partnered with Peter in this subject as it was his talent in the class that saved him from potentially blowing up the cauldron in his confused state several times.

He was finally pulled from his musings by the sound of Slughorn's voice announcing they had reached the end of the class.

He watched as Peter cleaned up and handed a full vial of antidote to the man and had a sudden thought. It was not something he would usually do but he felt a little desperate and needed some reassurance from the rotund man.

"I'll meet you at the room", he mouthed to the others as he approached the man nervously.

"Something still bothering you Mr. Potter?", Slughorn asked amusedly.

"Kind of", Harry admitted sheepishly, checking that the class was now indeed empty.

"What is it my boy, it's not like you to become flustered?".

"Does it mean you're in love with the person the potion smells like?", he asked nervously, his voice only just discernible to the man.

Slughorn chuckled then laughed in complete amusement.

"No", he managed to stammer out after a moment. "It merely smells of that we find most attractive, nothing more", he assured the teen.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and scolded himself for sounding so foolish.

"Thank you sir", he said gratefully.

"You seem to find the idea of falling in love rather vexing and not at all pleasurable", Slughorn observed.

Harry swallowed deeply and nodded slightly.

"Or is it the girl that this reminds you of?" the large man inquired.

"Both, I think", Harry answered uncertainly.

Slughorn shook his head.

"Take it from a man that has been in love Harry, it really is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you, scary?, Yes, and very challenging, but worth every second of the good and the bad", he finished genuinely.

Harry looked at the man and could see the melancholic expression forming on his face.

"What happened to her sir?", he asked.

Slughorn smiled sadly.

"We got married when we were young and she passed away, I have been on my own since", he shrugged.

"I'm sorry", Harry replied frantically.

"Why are you sorry my boy? Even though she is gone she gave me the best years of my life and for that I will always be grateful, but it has taught me that love should be embraced and not fought against, regardless of what obstacles stand in your way".

Harry chuckled.

"It's complicated though".

"It would not be worth it if it was simple", Slughorn returned. "Whatever it is you should give it a chance, it is much better to do that than live to regret the missed chances".

Harry gave the man a warm smile.

"Thank you sir, you've given me a lot to think about".

Slughorn nodded at the boy and Harry left the room in deeper thought than he had been when he entered it.

He didn't know what he felt about Bellatrix but he knew it was different to what he felt about the rest of his friends. He enjoyed spending time with her and there was no doubt in his mind that she was beautiful but he couldn't quite figure out what it was about her that made him think about her this way.

Harry may have been smart but his experience of love, or in his case, lack of love really shone though and it confused him beyond measure leaving him frustrated. He did not like going into situations without understanding them any longer, but this was one of those things he had no clue about and he certainly wasn't going to ask Sirius or the others about it.

He decided that he would have to go in blind, as uncomfortable as that made him feel, and just deal with it, whatever happened.

Several hours of confusion and thought later found him entering the third floor classroom where Bellatrix was already sat at a desk reading from a book.

He took a seat next her and took out his own and began perusing the pages, not really taken in any information he was reading.

"Are you ok?", Bellatrix asked, cutting into the silence.

"I'm fine", Harry returned dismissively, trying to ignore the confusion he was feeling.

Bellatrix shrugged and continued reading her own book not noticing that Harry would shift his glance to her, observing her as though he was trying to figure something out.

It was during his observation of the girl that he started to notice the things he liked about her.

The way she would push the errant strands of hair behind her ear when they would fall loose, the way she would frown slightly and worry her lip as she read and the way she would smile as the understanding of what she was reading sunk in.

"Have you got a date to the ball yet?", he suddenly blurted out, immediately scolding himself for his outburst.

Bellatrix sighed and shook her head but smirked, though Harry could see it was not convincing.

"People know not to ask me now", she replied and Harry could see a hint of longing in her eyes.

"What if I asked you?", he questioned the girl.

Bellatrix turned towards him as though to gage the boy's sincerity.

"Excuse me?", she asked as she felt something within her flutter slightly.

Harry dragged his hand through his hair nervously and steeled himself.

"What if I asked you to go with me?", he repeated genuinely.

Bellatrix frowned in confusion.

"Why?", she asked in complete disbelief.

Harry took a deep breath.

"I ran into Andromeda this morning…

Before he could continue Bellatrix shot to her feet, grabbed her bag and began to turn away but was stopped by Harry who turned her back towards him, though her eyes were now filled with fury.

"She had no right", she hissed. "I don't want to be some pity date", she added, her eyes beginning to brim with tears.

She turned her glance towards the floor and attempted to pull her arm out of Harry's grasp.

"Let me finish", he requested with a whisper.

Bellatrix stopped struggling but her gaze remained downwards as she waited for him to continue.

"Yes, she put the idea into my head", he admitted tightening his grip slightly as he felt the girl struggle again. "But I'm asking because I really want to take you, not because of anything or anyone else", he explained sincerely.

Bellatrix didn't reply immediately but did not attempt to flee either. She pondered what he had said and eventually looked up at him, her eyes still wet from the tears.

"You really want to take me?", She asked, still not quite convinced.

Harry nodded.

"I do".

Bellatrix shook her head.

"But why? You could take anyone you want to so why me, especially after everything that happened before".

"There's no one else I'd rather take", Harry answered simply and sincerely.

The girl looked into his eyes, as if trying to determine if there was any doubt or if this was some kind of joke.

"You really mean it?", she questioned.

"Yes", Harry answered firmly.

The girl looked at him for a moment longer before smiling warmly, a smile he had not been aware of how fond of he was until now.

"I would love to go with you", she whispered.

Harry returned the smile, feeling genuinely relieved and happy.

' _I'm going to the ball with Bellatrix Black',_ he mused contentedly, enjoying the warmth of the feeling it gave him.

"Sirius is going to freak out", he pointed out, looking forward to seeing the rest of the Marauders reactions also when he arrived with Bellatrix on his arm.

 **A/N**

 **Again my apologies for the delay and writers block, it was completely unexpected but seems to have shifted, I hope.**

 **It seems I have a few things about the story to explain which I shall do so now although the first part I find myself repeating.**

 **There are no more Horcruxes in this story, they are done, dusted and dealt with.**

 **The second thing is that there seems to be a little difficulty understanding the joke about Remus not being able to count to 21 if he was naked.**

 **Ten fingers, Ten toes and one thing that a boy has that girls don't, I'm sure I don't need to explain anymore than that.**

 **Anyway, Follow, fave and review and watch this space for the next chapter coming much, much sooner than this one did.**

 **TBR**


	9. Tournament, Trials and a Ball

**A/N**

 **Welcome back to another installment of Stepping Back. I know that my updates have been sporadic at best recently and for that I do apologise but I just want to be clear on one thing that seems to have people concerned: I can categorically say without any hesitation that I will never abandon any story I start.**

 **Anyway, let's get cracking and again, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of my avid readers for the continued support, it means the world to me.**

 **P.S It's a long one (104 Pages).**

Chapter 9: Tournament, Trials and a ball

The Marauders arrived at Hogsmeade station; each and every one of them keen to spend some much needed time at home and away from the castle, even though the Easter holidays had been cut short to only a week due to the impending tournament.

Both Remus and Sirius had been training exceptionally hard for the event, neither wanting to fall short of what they expected from themselves and Harry suspected that they both intended to win, though he would not bet a Galleon on the outcome. From what he had observed between many of the competitors, it would be a very close call in potential match ups and he could pick no definitive winner.

Because of how busy everyone seemed to be it had been easy for Harry for the past week to avoid any discussions pertaining to the ball that would conclude the festivities, something he was quite pleased with. Although he did now have a date, one that would no doubt surprise and shock a lot of people, he was still not particularly looking forward to it.

He knew that himself and Bellatrix would garner a lot of attention and he knew that events like this were something he had almost no experience of throughout his life, but he did have a plan to remedy that, one where he would have to swallow his pride and ask for some sorely needed assistance.

"So that's it then," Sirius sighed as the group took their seats in the compartment.

"What's it?" James asked confusedly.

"Well, that was the last chance for Harry to get a date for the ball, didn't you see the last mad dash to get someone and he missed it," the boy explained with a sigh.

Harry shook his head and smirked.

He hadn't shared the news with anyone about his date, let alone the identity of who it was, but he couldn't wait to make Sirius eat his words.

"What makes you think I haven't got a date?" the green eyed teen asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sirius's eyes widened and he sat straighter, clearly intent on unearthing every little detail he could.

"How? When?" he asked dumbly. "All you do is train."

Harry simply maintained his smirk causing Sirius to huff in frustration when he realized that he would get nothing out of his friend.

"Do you really have a date?" Remus questioned.

Harry nodded and noted the approving smile James wore.

"It's Belinda Fawcett," Peter suddenly exclaimed. "I saw them both in the library together."

Sirius eyes widened once more as his head snapped towards a very amused looking Harry.

"You're taking the head girl." He stated rather than questioned.

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm neither confirming or denying anything."

The other boy pouted and frowned childishly.

"But why?" he whined.

"Because you're a nosy git" Harry returned.

Sirius folded his arms and huffed once more, scowling at the other boy.

"It's not Fawcett" Remus broke in. "She's going with Elton."

Sirius said nothing but shook his head; clearly frustrated by the lack of information he was being given.

"Let it go Padfoot, you know he won't tell you" James advised. "You'll see who he's taking eventually."

"But I want to know now" he declared petulantly.

"Want to know what?" the voice of Marlene sounded as herself, Lily and Alice joined them.

"Harry has a date to the ball and won't tell us," Sirius explained.

Alice and Marlene looked towards Harry with a look of surprise but Lily wore a confused frown.

For some reason she hated the thought of Harry dating somebody. It wasn't that she was jealous, but she got the sudden urge to forbid it for reasons she didn't even understand. She didn't want anyone to hurt him and she felt the need to protect him from the possible emotional pain.

She shook her head of these thoughts as the conversation continued.

"At least tell us what house she is in" Marlene grumbled, clearly having as much success as Sirius in gaining information.

Harry chuckled and decided to have some fun with the group.

"What makes you think she's a student?" he questioned seriously.

"So it is a girl" Sirius exclaimed triumphantly. "Wait, not a student?"

"You're taking a Professor?" Peter asked.

Harry shook his head and chuckled once more, adopting a severe expression.

"No Peter, I'm taking your mum" he replied, placing a firm and comforting hand on the boys shoulder.

Peter suddenly paled and whimpered but was quickly shaken from his near catatonic state as Sirius roared in laughter.

"Don't do that." he hissed angrily.

"I'm sorry Wormy" Harry returned, patting the boy comfortingly on the shoulder.

"So you're really not going to tell us" Marlene broke in once more.

Harry had to admit that she was certainly persistent.

"Nope."

Marlene huffed in a similar fashion to Sirius and folded her arms after shooting an unhappy glance at the boy.

"Well whoever it is, I'm sure she and Harry will have a good time," Alice offered with a smile, which Harry reciprocated.

James suddenly burst out laughing and pointed to Harry, his eyes alight with mirth.

"What's so funny," Harry demanded.

It took several moments for James to compose himself before he could speak.

"You're going to have to go shopping for dress robes with mum, she'll insist," he pointed out.

It was Harry's turn to pale as those aware of Dorea's streak began to laugh also.

Harry grumbled but looked towards Sirius victoriously.

"I don't know why you're laughing mutt, unless you brought some from home, you'll be coming with me."

Sirius immediately stopped laughing, his face now a mask of horror at the realization.

"Noo," he whined.

James, Peter and Remus continued to laugh at the pair while the girls looked slightly confused.

"Well, at least you have plenty of dueling clothes," James reminded him. "You won't have to buy them too."

Harry nodded gratefully and looked towards the boy, a look of uncertainty marring his features.

"You have told them about the trials, haven't you?" James questioned seriously.

Harry shook his head.

The other boy's eyes widened, but he smirked knowingly.

"Looks like someone is in trouble," he mused aloud.

"Why?"

James almost looked incredulous at Harry's naivety.

"This is a really big deal Harry and Mum will be upset that you didn't tell her straight away," he explained.

"But they are only trials," Harry deadpanned.

"And out of all the wizards and witches in the country only you and probably two or three others would have been picked," James explained further. "Plus, you're probably the youngest person to ever be invited to them."

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"What trials?" Lily broke in inquisitively.

"Haven't you told anyone?" James questioned disbelievingly.

Harry shook his head.

"You guys only know because I got the letter when you were there."

James snorted and regarded the boy with respect in his eyes.

If anything, Harry had a tendency to downplay his achievements considerably.

' _Perhaps he's so used to keeping secrets,'_ he sighed inwardly.

"What trials," Lily questioned once more, sounding a little irritated that her question had been ignored.

"Harry has trials to represent Great Britain in the European Dueling Championships this year," James answered proudly.

There was a brief moment of silence while the girls digested what they had just been told. Lily suddenly broke the silence as she squealed and launched herself into Harry's arms, almost knocking the wind out of him.

"Congratulations, that's amazing," she praised, feeling every bit as proud of the boy his brother seemed to be.

"Does that mean we'll all be going to France this summer to watch him in the tournament?" Marlene asked excitedly.

"Damn right," Sirius declared.

Harry shook his head amusedly.

"There's a strong chance I won't even get through the trials," he pointed out.

"Nonsense," Alice interjected. "You are incredible with a wand."

The others nodded their agreement.

Harry felt his confidence grow as the others demonstrated their belief in him but he was no fool. Dueling is a sport and as with all sports it is restricted by rules and regulations, not the way that he had been taught to use his wand. He was prepared for open battle and warfare, not single combat competition that would be restrictive in the types of magic and spells he could use.

The bottom line was that he was a trained killer, a soldier if you will and not a duelist in the traditional sense.

"I best get through the trials then if you want that trip to France."

(BREAK)

The rest of the journey passed peacefully enough with the teens discussing their plans for Easter and before they knew it the train was pulling in to platform 9 ¾, a much busier platform 9 ¾ than any were used to seeing.

"It looks like every parent of each student is here," Sirius observed.

The rest of the group nodded their agreement.

"People are scared," Marlene deduced. "Especially after Hogsmeade."

Harry nodded and sighed inwardly, partly from relief and partly from frustration.

It finally seemed that the wizarding community were beginning to take the threat of Voldemort much more seriously and all it took was the lives of their children to be endangered for that to be accomplished. Perhaps now they were starting to realise that your blood offered no protection and that it was simply a front that Tom was using to gain support.

He was frustrated however that he had taken very few steps in dealing with the problem but he again reminded himself there was little he could do for the time being. He had thus far altered things on rather a small scale and he knew that altering things too much would leave him facing the unknown in the long run. As things stood he could simply beat Tom at his game by stepping in when necessary and preventing things that had become pivotal events, he did after all have the benefit of foresight in that regard, but that did not prevent him feeling frustrated.

' _Patience,'_ he reminded himself.

"How will we find our parents in this crowd?" James grumbled as they exited the carriage with their trunks.

Harry had to agree.

The platform was filled to capacity and finding anyone would be difficult.

Remembering a spell he had come across he drew his wand and cast a quick silencing ward around himself, to hide the fact that he was speaking parseltongue, and quickly conjured a dagger before slicing open the tip of his finger and allowing the blood to soak the end of his wand.

" _Point me,"_ he hissed.

The spell itself was a form of blood magic, one that would simply locate any around you who shared the same blood. As expected both James and Lily lit up with a bright golden colour, unseen by any other than Harry, and amongst the crowd to the right of the group Harry could make out a pair highlighted in a more subtle yellow.

"This way," he pointed after he had dropped the ward and began leading the other teens through the crowd.

The others followed, knowing not to ask about the spell. Harry had the habit of casting a silencing ward around himself when using magic he couldn't teach them and they had come to accept it.

They finally broke through the throngs of people to be greeted by the sight of Charlus and Arcturus conversing quietly and Dorea keeping a watchful eye on the students leaving the train, clearly trying to catch sight of Harry and James. Her face broke into a large and warm smile as she saw them approach and she quickly pulled the two into a very tight hug, almost squeezing the air out of the duo.

"Oh mum, not in front of everyone," James complained, though Harry could see he himself was trying not to smile.

"Are you saying that you no longer want me to cuddle you James?" the woman asked amusedly.

The boy shook his head firmly and gave a subtle gesture with his head towards those that had come along with them.

"I see," Dorea acknowledged as she became aware of the rest of the group.

She of course knew Sirius, Peter and Remus very well but she had not been formally introduced to the females as yet, though she recognized them from Hogwarts after the attack Hogsmeade. She eyed them critically and finally offered them a warm smile but before she could speak, Charlus beat her to it.

"And who are these fine young ladies?" he asked as he approached the cluster of teens, followed by Arcturus.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Lord Potter," Marlene replied as she stepped forward and offered the man a formal curtsey. "I'm Marlene McKinnon."

Charlus smiled and bowed in acknowledgement.

"Daughter of Lord Fenton McKinnon I assume."

Marlene nodded.

"A good man," Charlus offered sincerely.

The girl smiled brightly and took a step back allowing Alice to introduce herself.

"I'm Alice Prince," she said shyly as she too offered a curtsey to the man.

"Eldest daughter of Duncan," Charlus deduced correctly as the girl confirmed it with a smile. "And finally?"

"Lily Evans sir," the girl answered just above a whisper, curtseying herself, but not meeting the man's gaze.

Charlus nodded and smiled nonetheless.

"Now that is a name I'm not familiar with," he mused. "Am I correct in assuming that you come from muggle heritage?"

Lily nodded, her eyes remaining towards the ground.

Charlus chuckled.

"You will find no prejudice amongst my family Miss Evans," he assured her.

The girl finally looked up and locked eyes with the man and she was sure his widened briefly in recognition, but before she could be certain he was once again merely smiling.

The bright and familiar emerald eyes that met his own, eyes that belonged to another amongst the group also took Charlus aback.

Dorea too noticed them and looked between the young red head and Harry, immediately recognizing the young woman as Harry's mother, the name finally becoming familiar from the day they had first met Harry.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Evans," she greeted as she stepped forward and took the girls hands in her own, squeezing them gently.

"You too Mrs. Potter," Lily agreed, her nervousness fading now.

"Are your parents waiting on the other side?" Dorea asked.

Lily nodded.

"Then we will escort you to them, it's not safe how things are," Charlus offered.

"Thank you," Lily replied gratefully.

"And you will be coming with us also Lupin, we have things to discuss," Arcturus broke in.

Seeing the boy's nervous look Arcturus held up a placating hand.

"I already wrote to your parents, they will be here shortly," he explained.

Remus nodded and swallowed deeply but felt Harry squeeze his shoulder reassuringly causing him to relax a little.

True to his word a couple who could only be Remus's parents soon approached the group, both looking a little confused.

"It looks as though we are ready," Arcturus observed.

The rest of the teens bade farewell to Peter, Marlene and Alice before stepping through the barrier into muggle London to seek out Lily's parents, something that Harry was apprehensive about.

He only knew that the Evans parents had died before he was born and he had never seen a photo of them, even during his years with the Dursley's.

His wonderings on how his other grandparents looked were cut short as Lily suddenly charged towards a small group of people, two of which Harry was not at all pleased to see.

Although they were both much younger than he remembered, there was no mistaking Vernon and Petunia, the latter looking very much the same as she always did down to her horsey features. Vernon however was not the morbidly obese man from Harry's experiences. He was still large but the majority of his bulk was muscle, his look of course completed with his usual ridiculous moustache.

They came upon Lily and her parents mid greeting as the two grown-ups were clearly happy to have their daughter back with them, smiling as they both wrapped their arms around her.

Lily was very much the double of her mother having inherited her red hair and those vibrant eyes. She was a lithely built woman that exuded warmth and Harry could not help the stab of sadness he felt knowing that he never had the chance to get to know her.

Her husband was also thinly built with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and an equally warm smile that was certainly contagious.

Lily extracted herself from her parents embrace and began introducing her escorts, beginning with Charlus and Dorea, who happily shook the hands of the young girls parents.

It was when she introduced Vernon and Petunia that things got a little frosty for two members of the group in particular.

Dorea, her ever-polite self, not being privy to the treatment Harry had sustained at the hands of the two, was courteous and warm towards the pair as she shook their hands, though it was clear Vernon was reluctant to do so.

Charlus greeted the pair neutrally, receiving a frown from his wife for his apparent lack of manners; she however said nothing as she could see his temper was close to boiling point, something she would raise with him at home.

James simply had a murderous glint in his eye as he began to approach the pair, being held back by Harry who shook his head firmly causing the other boy to nod and swallow deeply. That didn't however stop him from attempting to break every bone in Vernon's hand as he shook it, causing the young man to wince.

Harry had of course mentioned the pair to James but had gone into very little detail in regards to them. James however was much more perceptive than Harry had given him credit for and he had clearly figured out much more than he had initially let on.

Again the exchange was noted by Dorea, who frowned. She was now feeling eager to discuss this with her son and husband as soon as possible. As such she was the one to begin the goodbyes after a brief chat and began leading the way to the apparition point.

After arriving at the front gates of Potter Manor Charlus quickly tuned the Lupin's into the wards and led them into the large house, settling everyone into the main parlour.

"Do excuse us Mr. and Mrs. Lupin but I need to have a word with my husband and two sons," Dorea announced formally, leaving no room for argument from the male Potters.

"It's quite alright Lady Potter," Mr. Lupin replied dismissively.

"It gives us a chance to discuss business," Arcturus added seriously as the Potters exited the room, Dorea stalking in front of Harry, James and Charlus.

Sirius made to follow but was held back by his Grandfather who shook his head and gestured for the boy to take a seat. He knew it was something concerning Harry and such a discussion could not take place with Sirius there due to his lack of knowledge on the situation.

"You will remain here boy, I'm sure your friend would appreciate it," he all but demanded, nodding towards a very nervous looking Remus. "Now, I believe we have some things to discuss."

(BREAK)

The Potters entered Charlus's office, which was silenced and locked by Dorea who then leaned against the desk, looking at the others expectantly. When none of them did she offered her husband a glare before addressing the man.

"Would you care to explain why you almost cursed the young muggle?" she asked casually, though it was clear she was unhappy.

Charlus took a deep breath and sighed, his eyes flickering towards Harry very briefly.

"Because the bastard deserves it," James cut in before Charlus could answer.

Dorea was surprised by the rage being demonstrated by her usually calm son whose eyes had once again adopted the murderous glint as he shook in his anger.

The woman narrowed her eyes at the boy and she shook her head.

"Explain," She demanded.

This time it was Charlus that spoke. Placing a hand each of the teen's shoulders, he took another deep breath while Harry fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Those are the two that Harry went to live with when everything went wrong," he explained.

Dorea's eyes narrowed further and her jaw clenched.

"The cupboard people?" She ground out.

Charlus nodded and James looked confused.

Harry may have explained some of his home life growing up with Dursley's to the boy but he had of course omitted several things, living in the cupboard included. He didn't know if it was shame or because he already knew that James held on to enough guilt for how he was treated.

"Cupboard?" James asked dumbly.

Harry sighed and dragged a nervous hand through his hair.

Charlus looked between the two and quickly figured out that certain things still had not been discussed yet.

"How much have you told him?" he questioned Harry.

Harry shrugged.

"Not much really," he admitted.

Charlus nodded his understanding.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, you were just a boy," he explained firmly with a reassuring look.

Harry nodded and sighed.

"It's just not really come up," he returned.

"I understand," Charlus comforted. "It is up to you when you speak about things."

Harry nodded once more.

"The cupboard thing was just a small part of it," he revealed quietly. "In a way, it was where I was most safe because they left me alone in there."

Charlus squeezed his shoulder encouragingly, urging the boy to let go of some of the burden.

"What do you mean?" James inquired, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Harry swallowed before speaking again.

"My first bedroom with them was the cupboard under the stairs, it was like that until I got my Hogwarts letter," he informed the boy.

James took a moment to digest the information before his head snapped in Harry's direction, his eyes a mixture of the same heartbreak Harry had witnessed when James learnt of his exposure to the Cruciatus Curse and unbridled rage.

"Ten years?" he growled out, though his voice weakened considerably as he finished his question.

Harry nodded his answer and again the other boy looked completely heartbroken before a look of realization dawned and the look was once again furious.

"That's where all those scars came from isn't it? From living with them."

Harry didn't need to even say a word for James to see it in his eyes.

Dorea had been quiet up until this point as the others discussed things amongst themselves, but her already fraying temper finally gave way at the last admission and she stood straight, her eyes blazing in fury as much as James's.

"I'll kill that bastard," James declared as he began pacing back and forth.

"Where are you going Dor?" Charlus asked, noting his wife about to exit the room.

He quickly moved to stand in front of her when he noted that she was beside herself in anger, not a good sign for whoever her ire was towards.

"Let me go Charlus," she hissed dangerously. "I'm going to teach those bastards what happens when you harm one of us."

"I'm coming too." James demanded as he took his place next to his mother.

Charlus shook his head.

"They are not the same people that did that," he reminded them.

"Harry's skin says differently," Dorea replied stubbornly.

"Now you have an idea of what I have to deal with," Harry broke in.

"What do you mean?" James questioned.

Harry sighed.

"There are people here who caused me so much more pain than the Dursley's ever did," he explained. "But they aren't the same people and I've even managed to forgive them."

Dorea nodded her understanding after a moment of contemplation and James followed suite.

"If Harry can do it then the least we can do is the same," Charlus pointed out.

"I suppose," Dorea agreed, though it was clear she was still steaming.

James simply nodded.

"Good, now I think we should go and rescue the Lupins from your brother, Merlin knows what he is putting them through," Charlus deadpanned.

(BREAK)

After the Potters had exited the room, Arcturus, Sirius and the Lupins sat in a companionable silence for a moment, the elder duo of the latter group looking slightly confused.

It was Arcturus that broke the silence.

"When did it happen?" he asked simply.

The parents of the boy in question fidgeted nervously and both Remus and Sirius looked confused.

Mr. Lupin sighed before answering the man, his voice and tone tentative.

"Remus was five when he was bitten," he explained softly with more than a hint of guilt evident in his voice.

Both Remus and Sirius looked horrified as they both quickly became aware of the subject matter.

Sirius shot a pleading glance towards his grandfather that the man ignored and Remus reacted as he usually did and buried his head in his hands, trembling uncontrollably.

Arcturus was undeterred by the teen's reactions and continued.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

Mr. Lupin swallowed deeply and his wife placed a hand on his thigh before she answered.

"My husband prevented Greyback from attacking a neighbor of ours and he took his revenge on our son."

"It was my fault," Mr. Lupin whispered emotionally.

"No it wasn't, you did the right thing," Remus returned firmly, a sentence that had clearly been repeated several times by the boy.

Mr. Lupin shook his head but was cut off but Arcturus.

"You should listen to your son Mr. Lupin," he implored. "He is clearly proud of whatever action you took," he continued, gesturing towards Remus who nodded his agreement.

The man offered his son a weak but appreciative smile.

"Regardless of the guilt you feel and his condition, you have both raised a fine boy, a very fine boy indeed," Arcturus praised sincerely. "You should be proud of him."

"We are," Mrs. Lupin confirmed. "But could you explain why we are here, your letter wasn't very clear?"

Arcturus nodded.

"Your son prevented some very severe harm coming to my youngest granddaughter during the Hogsmeade attack and I find myself in his debt," Arcturus explained, not revealing any specifics.

Remus shook his head.

"I just did what was right sir," he tried.

"Mr. Lupin, my family is the most important thing to me and I would give every knut in my vault to ensure their safety and happiness, you secured that for me and you shall be rewarded," Arcturus returned firmly.

"I don't want your money sir," Remus replied genuinely.

"Just as I thought," Arcturus chuckled. "That is why I'm not offering you money but something more personal," he explained as he removed an envelope from his pocket and handed it to the boy.

Remus looked confused but he opened the missive nonetheless and removed a sheet of parchment. He seemed to read it several times before he looked up at the man in complete disbelief and completely lost his composure as he began to sob.

"Moony?" Sirius questioned worriedly as he approached his friend.

The two Lupin parents, clearly having read the contents also hugged their son tightly and the boy offered his friend the gift to see for himself.

Arcturus graced the group with an unseen gentle smile before he spoke.

"It is no cure but it will make the transformations much more bearable and painless, leaving your son with his human mind in tact," he explained.

"The potion," Sirius said simply, choking on the final word as he too was overcome with sheer joy and relief for Remus.

Remus nodded and pulled the other teen into a tight hug, sobbing into his shoulder.

Sirius was in complete disbelief at the generosity of his grandfather and the difference the man was making in Remus's life as he wrapped his arms around his friend and wept along with him. He offered the man a grateful nod, having lost the ability to even think clearly, let alone speak.

"Merlin, and I thought our conversation was emotional," the voice of James sounded as the Potters entered the room.

"Prongs," Remus greeted the boy emotionally as he strode across the room and pulled both of the Potter boys into a tight hug.

"Bloody hell Moony I need to breathe," James complained.

Remus ignored the boy and continued his attempt to smother them both through his emotion.

"Anyone going to tell us what this about before he kills us?" Harry asked breathily.

Remus finally relented and simply took the parchment from Sirius and handed it to James.

"Is this for real?" he whispered after reading the offered note, his hand shaking.

He looked towards Arcturus, pleading the man to confirm it, which he did with a nod.

James closed his eyes and sniffed, attempting to hide his tears, failing miserably as the first few broke free and he pulled the werewolf into a an overly tight embrace of his own.

Harry felt confused and frowned before taking the parchment to read himself, his eyes shining brightly as he offered Arcturus a grateful smile and pulled both Remus and James towards him after he had finished digesting the news.

"Hey, don't leave me out," Sirius croaked as he flung himself into to the group, leaving the four of them in a tangled mess on the floor which none seemed to notice or care about.

"We can't even begin to thank you Lord Black," Mr. Lupin declared.

"There's no need," Arcturus assured the man. "Your son has earned this."

The Lupins could only nod their understanding and gratitude.

"All you have to do is take the parchment to the potioneer listed and he will give you a years supply every year," Arcturus explained.

"For life?" Remus asked disbelievingly as he emerged from the pile of boys heaped on the floor.

"Of course," Arcturus replied. "And there's something else also."

Remus shook his head.

"You've already given me too much."

"This is not a gift but another opportunity."

Remus frowned uncertainly and waited for the man to continue.

"Regardless of the potion, you will still find it very hard to find employment when you graduate," Arcturus pointed out.

Remus nodded his agreement.

"What is it you want to do?" Arcturus questioned.

"I'd like to be an enchanter," Remus answered sincerely.

Arcturus nodded his approval.

"Then you will need top marks in Charms, Arithmancy and Runes," he mused aloud. "Can you get those grades?"

Remus nodded firmly backed up by his three friends who also nodded their agreement.

"Then when you graduate I want you to come and see me and we can have a business discussion," Arcturus requested.

"Yes sir," Remus conceded.

"In the mean time I have some books that will certainly help you," Arcturus replied thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "I will bring them to you next week at Hogwarts,"

"At Hogwarts?" Sirius questioned.

"Families have been invited to watch the dueling tournament," Arcturus informed them.

This was a surprise to the teens, as this had not been mentioned to them as yet.

"I'm looking forward to it," Charlus declared excitedly.

James frowned at the man in confusion.

"Why are you going? Neither Harry or I are competing," he pointed out.

"What? Why?" Charlus questioned.

"After training with you and Harry a school tournament doesn't appeal to me," James shrugged.

"Harry?" the man questioned further.

Harry dragged a hand through his hair and sighed as he removed his shrunken trunk from his pocket.

"This is where he gets in trouble," Sirius snickered gleefully.

"Because," Harry began, shooting a glare at Sirius, "I don't think I'd be allowed even if I wanted to," he explained as he handed the man the letter he received from the Ministry.

Charlus frowned deeply as he took the official looking letter, preparing himself for the worst. What he did read was completely unexpected and his eyebrows rose significantly before he looked at the boy proudly.

"I don't even know why I'm surprised," he mumbled as a smile lit his face.

"What is it?" Dorea asked impatiently.

Charlus handed her the letter and continued to stare at Harry, shaking his head for lack of anything else he could think of doing.

"Oh my," Dorea whispered as she bit her lip worriedly.

"I'm not getting any younger Dorea, what is it?" Arcturus grumbled.

"Harry has been invited to try out for the national dueling to represent Great Britain this summer."

Arcturus simply smirked.

"At his age?" Mrs. Lupin piped up.

"The boy is a damned prodigy," Arcturus responded.

Dorea continued to look worried but offered Harry an encouraging smile.

"But the last day of the trials is the same as the ball," she noted quietly.

"No need to worry about that, Harry apparently has a date so he'll be there," James declared.

The Potter parents shared a look of surprise and Dorea adopted a look of eagerness.

"You have all week to drag the poor boy shopping for robes," Charlus pointed out, quickly deducing what his wife was thinking.

Dorea pouted slightly and Sirius guffawed at the look of horror Harry was now wearing.

"Laugh it up, you need robes too remember," Harry reminded him with a cruel smirk.

Dorea once again looked excited at the prospect of shopping for robes for two and she seemed content to wait.

"Traitor," Sirius grumbled as he scowled at a still smirking Harry.

"Who is it you're taking?" Charlus asked.

"He won't tell anyone of us," James huffed.

"Maybe he's paid Snivellus to wear a dress and be his date," Sirius offered causing both James and Remus to chuckle.

Harry too chuckled but for a different reason. He knew that when Sirius and the others learned the identity of his date they wouldn't be cracking jokes like that in front of her.

(Break)

Ever since Harry had asked her to be his date at the ball Bellatrix had been in an exceedingly good mood with the sense of happiness and excitement that had come over her at the thought of the green eyed boy that seemed to be on her mind an awful lot.

The pair had spent some time together over the past week and these were the moments that she found herself more at ease than she ever had. The boy was nothing short of a gentlemen and just being in his company made her feel content.

It was clear to the girl that despite his usually confident demeanor, Harry had little to no experience whatsoever with the opposite sex, an innocence that she found herself admiring, it was quite endearing.

Because of this she herself had taken the lead in instigating any closeness between the two, though in reality she had just as little experience as he did. She would merely sit a little closer to the other boy while they were reading and occasionally rest her head on his shoulder, something he had not once protested against or shown any outward sign of discomfort with.

Overall, very little had actually changed between the pair but Bellatrix found herself questioning the situation continuously. She didn't know if the pace of the relationship would be enough to keep Harry interested or if things were actually moving too fast and it frustrated her to no end. For all of her smarts she knew that both Harry and herself had no clue about this sort of thing and her constant thinking only left more questions than answers.

She slammed the book that she had been attempting to read shut and sighed.

"Maybe I should talk to someone," she mumbled to herself.

The only problem with that was she had no idea who to talk to and it wasn't something she was particularly willing to discuss. She had never had a conversation with anyone about feelings and the subject of boys had never been brought up, unless it was either of her sisters attempting to annoy and goad her in some way.

She shook her head at the thought of the other younger Blacks.

Andi was spending the train journey with that Tonks boy that Cissy had seen her with a few times and her younger sister was with her friends leaving Bellatrix alone, something she didn't mind at all, at least they would stop asking her personal questions, though she fully expected it to resume when they returned home.

Speaking of which, Bellatrix felt the train beginning to slow. Clearly she had been lost much deeper in her thoughts than she was aware, as the ride home seemed to have barley lasted a few moments.

She shook herself from her musings as she placed her book back into her trunk and shrunk it before placing it in her pocket.

Even thought the platform was completely packed, it didn't take her long to locate her mother and two sisters.

Druella greeted her middle daughter with a hug followed by a raised eyebrow. There was certainly something different about her.

It took her a moment to figure out the difference and she smiled inwardly when she saw what it was.

"You look happy Bellatrix," she commented.

The girl frowned at her mother. Both Andi and Cissy had said the same to her but try as she might she herself could not figure out what looked so different about her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Druella smirked knowingly.

"It's all in the eyes dear," she replied simply. "Come along," she added as she began leading her daughters away, not giving Bellatrix a chance to respond.

The girl in question shook her head and followed behind her family, her eyes narrowed in their direction.

After they arrived home via the floo network Druella busied herself making tea for them all, a tradition they had adopted when the girls first came from school. It gave them a chance to catch up as a family and discuss anything that needed to be talked about that couldn't be done through letters.

The matriarch of the home poured a cup for each of them before sitting at the table herself.

"So, is there anything I need to know?" she asked, specifically looking at her middle daughter expectantly.

Bellatrix knew her mother was trying to bleed information from her, not something she was going to give up so easy.

"The dueling tournament starts next week," she offered.

Druella raised an amused eyebrow at her daughter and stirred her drink casually.

"I know, myself and your father have been invited to watch," she informed her daughters. "Is that why you seem happier?" she questioned further.

Bellatrix sighed inwardly. Her mother was relentless if nothing else. Before she could answer her mother continued.

"And what about the ball?"

"I'm not going," Narcissa answered.

"Why ever not?" Druella asked.

"Because I volunteered to supervise some of Professor Slughorn's potions for extra credit," the blonde explained.

Her mother shook her head amusedly. Narcissa had always been more dedicated to her studies than anything else, as had Bellatrix for that matter.

"Andi?" she inquired.

Andromeda swallowed deeply.

"I'm not dueling, I have my NEWTS to focus on," she began.

Druella nodded her understanding and took a sip from her tea, waiting for her eldest to continue.

"But I am going to the ball," the girl added shyly.

Druella had her suspicions that her daughter was dating someone that most of the Blacks would not approve of, but she said nothing. In her mind ignorance was bliss and her husband now knew not to try to interfere in the personal lives of their daughters to that degree again. As far as she was concerned the girl was only 17 and was not one to do anything foolish like announce to the world that she was dating someone deemed unworthy by the family.

"So what is his name?" she asked, fully expecting the girl to not answer.

"His name is Theodore," Andromeda answered.

"He's a Hufflepuff," Narcissa contributed with an innocent smile.

"A Hufflepuff?" Druella questioned, surprised more than just a little. "Well he will be loyal at the very least," she offered.

Andromeda nodded as she shot a death glare to her youngest sister who continued her innocent façade.

"Bellatrix?"

Bellatrix knew her mother would not drop this and she shook her head in exasperation.

"I'm dueling," she confirmed.

"And the ball?"

The girl sighed again and just nodded.

The three other females looked a little surprised but also victorious.

"He asked you then," Andromeda stated.

Narcissa and Druella looked confused as Bellatrix smiled despite her efforts not to.

"He did and I should curse you for your interference," she replied irritably.

Andromeda gave an uncharacteristic squeal as she hugged her reddening sister.

"Get off Andi," Bellatrix complained, though her smiled remained.

"That is the reason you look so happy," Druella mused. "So who is it?"

"It's Harry," Andromeda announced.

Narcissa's eyes widened comically and Druella shook her head in amusement.

"And how did that happen?" Druella asked.

Bellatrix looked a little sheepish but she answered truthfully.

"We've been spending quite a bit of time together since the Hogsmeade attack, he's been teaching me," she explained.

"Teaching you?" Andromeda broke in. "You don't need teaching."

Bellatrix shook her head.

"I didn't think I needed much either until Harry gave me a few tips, he is something else with a wand, I've never seen anything like it," Bellatrix replied sincerely.

"Yeah, we know that," Narcissa cut in. "He's going to win the dueling tournament easily," she added confidently.

Bellatrix nodded her agreement.

Harry had of course not shared the fact that he would not be competing with her.

"How did that lead to him asking you to the ball?" Druella asked, a hint of impatience in her tone.

Bellatrix again glared at her older sister.

"I guess you can blame her for that," she huffed.

"Well it worked," Andromeda pointed out.

Bellatrix shook her head.

"Actually it didn't, I almost hexed his bits off when he first asked," she explained.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows.

"That was until he explained why he wanted to take me," Bellatrix continued, smiling again once more.

"What did he say?"

Bellatrix shook her head and sighed but recounted the moment for them anyway knowing they would not let it lie.

"That is so romantic," Narcissa declared once Bellatrix had finished.

"It is," Druella agreed and found herself smiling at the thought of the boy.

"Yes but we are keeping it quiet for now," Bellatrix informed them firmly.

"Why?" Druella questioned. "I very much doubt anyone would attempt to give either of you problems."

"We just want to keep it for ourselves for now," Bellatrix whispered.

Druella nodded her understanding.

"It's all new and you don't want anything to ruin it," Druella deduced.

Bellatrix nodded.

"Have you kissed him yet?" Narcissa interjected bluntly.

Bellatrix flushed and shook her head.

"No, nothing like that, I don't even know if he would want to," she admitted.

"Why wouldn't he?" Andromeda chipped in.

"He's really hard to read and this kind of thing is really new to both of us, neither of us know what we're doing I think," Bellatrix returned uncertainly.

Druella nodded and smiled.

"That's a good thing, it means you get to learn everything together but first you need to learn about each other, things like this don't work out if you're not comfortable and intimate emotionally before anything else," she explained.

Bellatrix frowned in confusion.

"So what do I do?" she asked, a little bit of her pent up frustration showing through.

"You let things happen naturally, as they should," her mother answered. "Just do what feels right and everything will work out the way it should,"

Bellatrix sighed and nodded once more.

"You are both similar in quite a lot of ways, just give it time dear," Druella advised.

Bellatrix smiled as she felt a little of the pressure she had put on herself lift. She knew her mother was right and all she could do was wait and see what would happen as time went by and everything developed naturally between herself and the green-eyed boy.

(BREAK)

Harry sunk gratefully into the sofa in the main parlour room after a very long day of shopping. Nine hours he had been dragged from shop to shop for dress robes, shoes and a number of accessories that made no sense to him.

It turned out that Dorea could not curb her enthusiasm enough to wait past the morning after their return home to drag both Harry and Sirius shopping, James having quickly made himself scarce at the mention of the idea. But Dorea had not been the reason why the trip had taken so long, that honour fell to Sirius.

The boy was simply a nightmare while shopping and was extremely picky. Harry had at first found him amusing as he demanded particulars but his amusement soon turned to irritation. It had eventually taken Harry to threaten the boy with some rather grim curses to hurry the other boy along, though he clearly did not like being rushed.

He sighed as he rubbed his throbbing temples, simply relishing in some much needed peace.

"I know that expression," the voice of Charlus interrupted his musings as the man entered the room. "A long day of shopping courtesy of Dorea."

Harry shook his head.

"Sirius you mean," he grumbled.

Charlus chuckled.

"I've never met a boy like him when it comes to shopping."

"He's ridiculous, it took him four hours to pick shoes," Harry complained, causing the man to laugh.

"Where is he now?"

"Upstairs probably admiring his reflection," Harry answered irritably.

"Is he still moaning?" Dorea questioned as she too entered the room and took a seat.

Harry mumbled incoherently in response.

"It wasn't that bad Harry," Dorea chided.

"Not for you two, you can see you're related," Harry returned.

Dorea simply shook her head and laughed.

"Well it's over with now," she reminded.

"Thank Merlin."

Harry sighed again as he found himself in the perfect situation to broach a subject he certainly did not want to discuss with James and Sirius around.

"Something bothering you Harry?" Charlus asked.

Harry swallowed and nodded nervously.

"I need some help with dancing," he whispered.

The two grown ups shared a knowing look and Charlus shook his head.

"Dorea is much better than me," he explained.

The woman smiled and nodded.

"Have you never had any dance lessons?" she asked.

Harry nodded.

"I had to go to a ball for the triwizard tournament but didn't learn much," he explained.

Dorea nodded her understanding.

"I'll teach you," she offered. "But under one condition," she added with a mischievous smirk.

"What condition?" Harry asked, feeling very suspicious of the woman.

"You tell me who it is you're taking to the ball"

Harry's eyes widened at the request.

"Oh I like it," Charlus chuckled gleefully.

"But that's blackmail," Harry huffed.

"I know, it's a great thing," Dorea returned casually.

Harry shook his head.

"Definitely a Black," he mumbled to himself.

"And don't you forget it."

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone else," he tried, hoping the woman wouldn't go for it and that he could negotiate something else with her.

Dorea raised and eyebrow at him and gestured zipping her mouth closed.

"Deal."

Harry looked momentarily horrified before shaking his head. He had tried to bluff her and failed.

"I'm taking Bellatrix," he revealed after he shot a glance at the door to make sure neither James or Sirius were there.

Dorea smiled brightly and Charlus raised his eyebrows.

"That's wonderful Harry, I'm sure you will both have a good time," Dorea assured him.

"You'd better give her a good time or you'll never hear the end of it," Charlus muttered.

Dorea glared at the man.

"You took me to a qudditch match in December for our first date," She hissed.

"I didn't know it would snow, I'm not a seer," the man replied.

"You're lucky I agreed to go out with you again," Dorea bit back.

Charlus nodded his agreement.

"You've made that clear enough times,"

"Good, then you'll never make that mistake again will you."

Charlus shook his head seriously.

"I said I was sorry," he pointed out.

"You did and you were very sweet," Dorea conceded, her eyes softening considerably. "Any way, we can start the lessons in the morning," she added to Harry.

Harry nodded.

"Not a word to those two," he pleaded.

"My lips are sealed," Dorea promised.

(BREAK)

As expected, the shortened holiday past in a blur of dance lessons and homework. Before Harry knew it he was once again sat aboard the Hogwarts Express with the rest of the Marauders making their way back to school for the final term of the year.

Peter had a similar reaction to his friends regarding the news of Remus's potion and spent quite a sizable amount of time hugging the werewolf, congratulating the boy and offering his own words of joy.

"We'll still be coming to see you after the ball," James promised.

Remus shook his head.

"Actually, my parents are coming to get me so they can supervise the first time, just to make sure."

The other boys shared a look with each other but nodded their understanding.

"Then you'll take my mirror and call us as soon you can to let us know," Sirius requested firmly.

Remus shook his head but smiled nonetheless.

"Yes Mum," he returned cheekily.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at his friend and smirked.

Soon enough the return journey to Hogwarts came to an end and the group quickly found themselves at the Gryffindor table enjoying the feast with Marlene, Alice and Lily.

"And how did your shopping trip go?" Marlene asked Sirius causing Harry to shoot a nasty glare towards the boy.

"It was fine," Sirius answered simply after he noted the look he was getting.

Marlene was about to question him further but was interrupted by Dumbledore standing to address the room.

"Welcome back," he began with a gentle smile. "Tomorrow marks the first day of the dueling tournament and as such the rules and structure of the competition will be explained at breakfast."

All in the room were silently fixed on the man.

"I am sure that you would have been informed by now but parents of students have been invited to spectate the duels and also members of the Auror squad and the governors will also be in attendance, so your best behavior is as always, expected.

Clearly not everyone knew this as small amounts of hushed whispering broke out.

"Finally, in the interest of fairness we have decided that you will only compete against members of your own year group," he continued. "So I suggest that you all get a good night sleep because those competing will have their first opponent announced at breakfast tomorrow."

He took a seat and the students immediately exited the hall as advised, chatting excitedly amongst themselves.

"Nervous?" Harry questioned both Remus and Sirius as they took their usual seats in the common room.

Both boys shook their heads.

"I'm looking forward to it," Sirius declared.

"Me too."

Harry smiled encouragingly at them.

"Just remember to not underestimate anyone and you'll both be fine," he advised.

(BREAK)

Entering the Great Hall the following morning, it wasn't hard to spot that things were different. The house tables were all still there but they had all been lengthened considerably. In addition to this, there were several more seats at the teacher's table and the room looked as though it had been expanded also to accommodate the changes.

In all of his years at Hogwarts Harry had never seen the room this way, even during the time of the Triwizard tournament, but then again, there had been considerably less students at Hogwarts when he had attended previously.

The Marauders took seats at their house table and watched as the hall filled to capacity with the rest of the school as every student filed in during the morning meal. When the students were all sat, the room began to fill with the parents of the students as they joined their children also.

Harry recognized a lot of the people here, for both good and bad reasons but found himself smiling as Charlus, Dorea, Arcturus and the parents of both Alice and Marlene joined the group.

"Elbows off the table Sirius," Dorea chided as she took a seat between Harry and James with the other parents sitting sporadically amongst them all.

Sirius grumbled but did as he was told knowing better than to argue with his great aunt.

"Miss Evans, are your parents not coming?" Dorea asked.

Lily shook her head.

"My father has to work and we live in Surrey, it's a long way to travel by muggle transport," she explained.

Dorea nodded her understanding.

"Well, we will be here to cheer you on," she offered comfortingly.

Lily smiled appreciatively.

The group chatted amongst themselves as they waited for the proceedings to begin. They didn't have to wait long as Dumbledore soon stood to address them.

Harry noted that in the time that they had been talking, the room had filled up even more so with members of the media, a dozen or so aurors and several other important looking figures that he did not recognize.

"Ladies and Gentlemen I would like to begin by welcoming you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and thank you for sharing in our dueling festivities," the headmaster began.

A smattering of applause broke out and the man waited patiently for the noise of the crowd to die down.

"To explain how the tournament will work and explain the rules allow me to introduce our very own defense against the dark arts instructor, Professor Mortlake."

Dumbledore began clapping for the man as he took his seat, allowing Mortlake to approach the podium looking his usual grouchy self.

"Thank you Headmaster," he offered stiffly. "Now the rules have already been explained, 15 minutes per duel and whatever I say goes," he reminded them. "We will be using a familiar system to decide who will be opposing whom," he continued as he placed the wooden chalice on the podium that he had used to announce the class pairings at the beginning of the year.

A small amount of talking broke out throughout the room as some f the students explained to the parents how it would work.

"We are doing it this way so that it is fair," he explained. "That means that you could be facing any person within your year, regardless of what house yourself or they are in."

Sirius and Remus shared a nervous glance at this revelation.

"If you lose your duel then you are out," Mortlake continued. "And again, what I say goes. If you use spells or magic I deem unfit for the competition you will be disqualified and may even be punished further depending on the severity," he again reminded them firmly. "Now without further ado, let us begin."

He drew his wand and pointed it at the cup, lighting a blue flame within it, eliciting an eager round of applause from those in the room.

"We will begin with the fourth years," he announced as he placed several pieces of parchment into the fire.

The announcement of both the fourth and fifth year initial duels passed quickly with only a few names that Harry recognized, the most prominent of course being Regulus Black who would be taking part in the fifth year portion of the competition.

It was when Mortlake announced that it was time to draw the sixth year names that Harry and those around him became much more attentive.

As he had with the previous two year groups, the Professor placed the slips of parchment into the fire and waited for the name drawing to begin. After a moment the blames burned brighter and released the first name, which Mortlake snatched nimbly from the air.

"The first competitor of the sixth year duels is Severus Snape of Slytherin house," he announced.

Harry caught sight of the boy looking smug and sharing a grin with his friends.

"Mr. Snape will be facing Alice Prince of Gryffindor house," Mortlake continued once the next name had appeared.

The Slytherin boy frowned at the girl and Alice simply ignored him.

The professor waited for two names to be spewed out of the cup before he announced the next bout.

"Sirius Black of Gryffindor house will take on Thomas Avery of Slytherin."

Sirius and Avery immediately glared at each other. There was certainly no love loss between the two.

A few more bouts were announced that didn't concern the group until Mortlake drew the names for the 7th duel.

Lily Evans of Gryffindor house will face Marlene McKinnon, also of Gryffindor."

The two girls were momentarily shocked at the announcement but both soon adopted a smirk towards the other. They may be best friends but Harry knew that neither would hold back against the other.

"Up next we have Remus Lupin of Gryffindor house taking on Anthony Derwent of Ravenclaw."

Remus and the other boy shared a respectful nod in acknowledgement of their upcoming duel.

All of Harry's friends now had their first opponents and he found himself not at all concerned with who they had been drawn against other than Alice who would more than have her hands full with Snape. He had just tuned out when he heard another name that peaked his interest once more.

"Bellatrix Black of Slytherin will take on Rabastan Lestrange of Slytherin," Mortlake announced.

Harry couldn't help but notice how nervous Lestrange was now looking at the revelation of his opponent and Harry could not blame him whatsoever. Bellatrix was simply much better in every aspect of her dueling game than the other boy and his chances were bleak at best.

Bellatrix noticed him watching and gave him a discreet smile as she sat between her parents. Much to his surprise, Bellatrix's father had attended and was shooting a knowing look of his own to Randolph Lestrange who was not looking happy.

"And now on to the seventh years," Mortlake declared once it was clear that no more names would be coming out of the cup.

Bellatrix looked at Harry questioningly but he was in no position to explain as things were. The two were sat on opposite sides of the room so he merely offered her a shrug.

The seventh year competition was announced with only Frank Longbottom and Rudolphus Lestrange who Harry knew of along with a slew of other students of that year. Clearly Lestrange had been put in the seventh year category as he was much older than his sixth year counterparts and Harry imagined it had been deemed unfair for him to compete with the fellow sixth years.

After the last duel had been announced Dumbledore rose and Mortlake took his seat, looking more than happy to be doing so.

"Excellent, now as each of you are victorious your names will be once again added to the cup to determine your next opponent," he explained.

There was a small amount of murmuring to be heard at this so the headmaster waited for it to die down before he spoke once more.

"Today we will have the preliminary rounds of the fourth and fifth year duels but I do first of all have a further announcement to make regarding one of our own, if of course he has no objections to me sharing," he continued, his twinkling eyes finding their way to Harry.

Harry sighed inwardly but knew it would be better this way than having to explain it several times over to different people.

"Now, I imagine that most of the students here are wondering why Mr. Potter, Harry, has not entered himself into the tournament."

Again, a small amount of chatter could be heard as many showed their agreement with the statement.

"Mr. Potter is exempt from competing and I am proud to announce that is because he has been selected to try out to represent Great Britain for the upcoming European champions, the youngest person to be honoured with such an opportunity in recent History."

There was a brief moment of stunned silence that was suddenly broken by a deafening round of applause from the majority of those in attendance and an onslaught of camera flashes from the media, that was until both Arcturus and Charlus shielded him and glared angrily at the photographers, who immediately ceased their efforts.

"Yes, a very big congratulations to Mr. Potter and we of course wish you the best of luck but for now we will have a thirty minute intermission before we proceed with our own competition."

Many in the hall stood to stretch their legs for a while as many others, particularly those involved with and interested in the duels, began discussing strategy and tactics.

Harry found himself swarmed by classmates and members of the public who wanted to offer their own congratulations, we he took as humbly as he could, though he still did not enjoy being the centre of attention.

The journalists certainly seemed to want to approach the teen also but clearly thought better of it as both Charlus and Arcturus warned them off with little more than a further glare in their direction when it seemed that one had mustered enough courage to do so. Cowed by the two men, those from the media sought out people who were willing to talk to them, leaving the Potters mostly alone. The welcome exclusion of the media was short lived however as the group were approached by a cluster of even less welcome people.

"So the bastard Potter gets rewarded for violence," the voice of Lucius Malfoy sounded from the right of the group, the boy being flanked by several others his own age along with some Slytherin students.

Harry turned and simply smirked at the older teen and shook his head amusedly.

"Lucy, I'm quite sure your father would be rather upset if he knew you were attempting to provoke me," he replied coolly.

Lucius narrowed his eyes and was about to retort when a firm hand found its way on his shoulder. Looking up he saw his father with wearing and irritated scowl.

"Remember the conversation we had regarding the boy," he hissed.

Lucius shook his head irritably.

"We are Malfoy's," he returned angrily. "We do not allow any to get the better of us."

"We have discussed this," Abraxus replied heatedly.

"Clearly your son did not inherit your intelligence Abraxus," Arcturus broke in.

"I was the top of my year," Lucius declared smugly.

"That class must have been full of morons then," Harry muttered, causing several people to laugh.

Harry noted that that touched a nerve as Lucius turned to glare at him once more, his eyes full of venom.

"Lucius," Abraxus growled warningly, seeing that his son had lost his cool and composure.

Lucius turned towards the man and shook his head in what seemed to be disappointment.

"You have allowed him to embarrass us several times, no more."

"As your head of house, I demand that you stand down,"

"And as a man I refuse."

Harry and the rest of the group watched the dissent amongst the Malfoy patriarch and his heir with keen interest. Lucius was certainly determined to disobey his father.

Abraxus shook his head and turned towards Charlus, bowing formally as he did so.

"Lord Potter, the House of Malfoy does not condone the attitude that one of its son's is demonstrating and though I will not apologise for it, I do not support it at this time," he offered.

Charlus recognized immediately what Malfoy Senior was doing. He may not have condoned the actions but that did not mean the two would be friends any time soon. All Abraxus had done was again avoid confrontation but had managed to salvage some kind of dignity from the situation.

Lucius was infuriated by the actions of his father and as was evident by the betrayed yet murderous look his face now adorned.

"This isn't over Potter," he snarled as he turned and forced his way through the crowd.

Harry chuckled to himself at how much Lucius at this age reminded him of Draco. He was little more than hot air, but could be dangerous if left unchecked, something that Harry planned on dealing with sooner rather than later.

His reflection was interrupted by Dumbledore declaring that the tournament was about to begin and as instructed, the members of the audience took their seats once again within the hall.

What followed for Harry was a day of entertainment. Although the majority of the students were not particularly gifted in the art of dueling it was fun to watch nonetheless. Regulus Black was one of the few that demonstrated any actual aptitude for it and the boy admittedly impressed Harry, but he was not at all surprised. Regulus was a Black after all and would have had much preparation throughout his life for such things.

He did not however have too much time to dwell on the fourth and fifth year duels, as tomorrow would be his first day of trials at the ministry. That would mean he would miss the opening round of his years duels, something he had pointed out to his friends. They had all simply shrugged it off and told him to focus on what he had to do. They all understood that, even though it was a fairly big deal to them, the trials were a once in a lifetime opportunity for Harry.

(BREAK)

He woke early the next morning to prepare for his day of trials, though he had no idea what they would entail. He spent a few hours in the room of requirement gently stretching and going through some light spell work, fully expecting that he would be put through his paces.

After finishing up in the room he returned to a near empty Gryffindor Tower to shower, the rest of the house clearly having gone to breakfast and not wanting to miss anything to do with the dueling that would be continuing today. He dressed in some loose clothing, ensuring that he had both of his wands and picked up the dagger he had obtained in the chamber before making his way to the Great Hall to have some breakfast and spend some time with his friends and family.

He had spent a little time studying both the dagger and the ring that had belonged to Slytherin, finding no type of enchantment or even traces of magic imbued into either. It seemed they were simply what they appeared to be, but Harry was no less proud to be in possession of them, they had belonged to one of the founders after all.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he reached the entrance hall and found himself being dragged into an empty classroom by a gentle grasp on his wrist. Stopping himself from drawing his wand at the last moment he allowed himself to be steered inside where his eyes fell on a triumphant looking Bellatrix.

"Well, your disillusionment charm is improving," he offered with a gentle smile, which was returned by the girl.

"Almost as good as yours Potter," she returned with mock smugness.

Harry chuckled and shook his head amusedly.

"I can't deny that Black," he conceded proudly. "Now is there a reason you're assaulting me in the halls now?"

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow and folded her arms.

"I was going to wish you good luck, but now I don't think I'll bother," she huffed indignantly; her eyes alight with amusement of her own.

She turned to leave and smiled when she felt herself being held back. Schooling her features she turned to face the boy once more.

"You're not mad I didn't tell you?"

Bellatrix snorted slightly.

"I know enough about you to know that you keep almost everything yourself, I bet you didn't even tell your parents straight away."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced slightly.

"Just as I thought," Bellatrix sighed. "But, no I'm not mad, I'm proud of you, if anyone can do it it's you."

"Thank you," Harry replied, feeling a little shy at the praise he was getting.

"But you had better not stand me up at the ball or I will be most displeased," Bellatrix warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Harry promised with a grin.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at him critically and nodded when she was satisfied he was telling the truth.

"Good," she finally responded.

Before Harry was aware what had happened the girl had cleared the already small amount of space between them and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Good luck Harry," She whispered as she exited the room, her cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink.

Harry simply rubbed spot where her lips had been and smiled at the tingling sensation they had left in their wake, losing himself in his thoughts for a moment before snapping out of them and exiting the classroom to finally make his way into the Great Hall.

Immediately he was put on edge. Many people turned to stare at him and several people at the Slytherin table were looking far too happy about something. He caught a glimpse of Bellatrix who was looking at little nervous and he frowned thoughtfully as he approached the Potters who were talking amongst themselves along with the rest of the Marauders and Arcturus.

"What's going on," he asked, sensing that something was wrong.

None replied but Charlus sighed and handed him the morning edition of the Daily Prophet.

Harry took it and instantly saw what the problem was.

 **Who is Harry Potter?**

By Barnabus Cuffe

 **It was revealed yesterday, by none other than Albus Dumbledore, that sixteen-year-old Harry Potter has been named as a potential candidate to represent Great Britain this summer during the European Dueling Championships, the youngest possibility by far. But just who is Harry Potter?**

 **In typical Potter fashion the boy refused to speak to the media and when I attempted to do a little digging, I came up empty handed, it is as though the boy simply did not exist before the summer of last year. The few sources I did manage to speak to were not exactly flattering towards their fellow class mate, one of whom, who wished to remain anonymous offered what he knew of the teen.**

" **Potter arrived at Hogwarts in September, we were told he had been privately educated."**

 **Another one of his fellow students had this to say.**

" **Potter is dangerous, in the short amount of time he has been here he has put several people in the hospital wing and even threatened to flay one of my friends alive."**

 **Clearly, the young man in question is less than amiable with his supposed schoolmates and the reports of him injuring several people are more than a little worrying. With the already growing threat of the Dark Lord the appearance of this mysterious and dangerous boy is very disconcerting to this reporter. What is stopping him from joining You-Know-Who? Are our children no longer safe in what is supposed to be the safest place in magical Britain? I for one need reassurance that the boy is not a threat and implore that the DMLE intervene before it is too late.**

Harry folded the paper and took a seat amongst his family before bursting out in laughter and shaking his head.

"What is so funny?" Charlus asked, frowning at the boy.

"Well, its not exactly wrong is it, apart from me joining Voldemort," he pointed out.

"It doesn't look good though Harry," Dorea interjected.

Harry frowned and felt his annoyance begin to rise.

"You know why I'm here," he whispered furiously. "I'm not here to make friends with sheep that pay attention to this shit."

With that said he helped himself to some toast before sighing and exiting the hall only to be met by Druella and Pollux Black at the front doors.

"Do not pay attention the media Mr. Potter, I know the kind of man you are becoming," the woman offered, giving him a smile and a gentle squeeze on the shoulder.

Pollux scowled slightly but nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Good luck Potter," the man said stiffly before heading into the castle.

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I believe that is my husband expressing his gratitude for what you did for our girls, it seems he has learnt from his foolishness," she mused aloud as she followed the man.

Harry shook his head and made his way beyond the wards of the school before apparating to the ministry of magic to begin the first of his trials.

(BREAK)

After Harry had exited the hall the group situated at the Gryffindor table were rather subdued and lost in their own thoughts.

"Why is Harry here?" James questioned his parents quietly.

"That is not a discussion to be had outside of the family home," Dorea whispered.

Charlus nodded his agreement and James followed in understanding, though it didn't stop him feeling curious.

He had asked Harry the same question but had failed to receive a definitive answer from the boy. Harry had simply stated that he would tell him when he was ready.

Charlus suddenly growled and attempted to stand but was quickly placated by Arcturus.

The reason became very clear to the group as the man who had written the article entered the room looking particularly proud of himself.

"You decorating the hall with his organs will not help," Arcturus warned. "Let me deal with Cuffe," he offered, a knowing smirk adorning his face.

He then left the table and approached the man, pleased that he looked nervous as the Black patriarch stalked towards him.

"Mr. Cuffe, I believe we need to have a conversation," he growled, seizing the man and frog marching him from the hall.

"If you harm me I will have you arrested," the man sputtered nervously.

Arcturus smirked evilly.

"Oh Cuffe, if I wanted to harm you I wouldn't choose such a public place to do so, I would choose a much more private setting for such an occasion."

Cuffe gulped audibly as he was shoved into a classroom and locked in with a furious Arcturus Black.

"Now, you are very stupid or very brave publishing an article like that."

"The public deserve to know the truth," Cuffe retorted heatedly.

Arcturus growled.

"You're right," he agreed. "But you made a very big mistake, you have now drawn the ire of both the Black and Potter families respectively," he informed the now trembling man.

Cuffe swallowed again and squirmed uncomfortably as he began to noticeably perspire.

"Don't worry Mr. Cuffe, I am offering you one chance at redemption, but if you don't take it then we may have to continue this conversation in that much more private setting I mentioned earlier."

Cuffe shook his head.

"I will not be threatened into lying," he ground out.

Arcturus shook his head.

"You misunderstand me Barnabus," Arcturus explained jovially, though the threatening undertone remained prevalent in his voice. "I'm going to give you the truth about the boy, all you have to do is be a good little journalist and write it," he continued as he straightened the mans ruffled tie.

"And why would you do that?" Cuffe asked disbelievingly.

"Because the boy is too noble and selfless to speak out himself."

Cuffe shook his head.

"So you're just going to give me the story I wanted in the first place?"

Arcturus nodded.

"What's the catch?"

"There's no catch," Arcturus offered before plowing his fist into the man's stomach, dropping him to one knee.

He then seized a handful of the now wheezing mans hair before speaking lowly.

"But if you ever even think about writing a story about anyone in my family again without my say so I will make the last few hours of your life the most miserable you can imagine, is that understood?"

The journalist nodded weakly.

"Now let us begin," Arcturus commanded as he pulled the man to his feet and once more straightened his disheveled appearance.

Throughout the remainder of the day Arcturus Black could be seen coming backwards and forwards into the Great Hall and exiting with certain people, members of the Hogwarts staff and students alike.

(BREAK)

After arriving at the ministry and checking in with the wizard at the front desk, Harry made his way to the Department of Magical Games and Sports as instructed where he was greeted by Simeon Jones.

"Mr. Potter," the man greeted him, offering his hand. "My name is Simeon Jones and it will be myself and my team assessing you," he explained.

Harry took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake.

"It is nice to meet you Mr. Jones," he replied with a slight bow.

Jones smiled and began leading him through several corridors and into a large open space.

"We will be assessing each candidate separately, so you will have no contact with any of the others," Jones informed him. "Today we will be seeing what you are made of when it comes to endurance and looking at what skills you possess."

Harry nodded his understanding.

What followed reminded him very much of his first day with the unspeakables, without the continued use of the stinging hex against him.

He was tested physically to begin with and then made to demonstrate his spell repertoire against a series of different dummies, though he held back quite a few of his abilities, not wanting to give away too much. Despite this he knew that he had done very well if the looks of surprise he was met with at the end of the day was anything to go by.

"You are certainly much more than I expected," Jones conceded with a disbelieving shake of his head.

The teen in front of him had impressed him beyond anything he had ever seen in his many years in the job, though he could not understand how one so young had become so skilled and gifted. The boy was not only powerful, but the variety of spells, many of which he had never seen, had left him with no doubt that the young Potter was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

"We will see you in three days time for the second part of your trial," he finished, dismissing the teen.

Harry nodded and exited the Ministry to return back to the school for a shower and some much needed rest. Although the day had been considerably less strenuous than his time with Croaker, he was certainly feeling the fatigue.

He returned to the castle fairly late and all the duels for the day had been completed. He was pleased to hear that both Sirius and Remus had made it through their respective duels with apparent ease and even more pleased that he would be able to witness the next round.

The duel between Marlene and Lily had apparently been quite fierce with the redhead eventually coming out on top but that was where the good news ended. Snape, who by all accounts, had certainly upped his game over the year, had taken out Alice quickly.

The only person that any of them seemed concerned about was Bellatrix who had, according to Sirius, completely embarrassed and destroyed Rabastan with ease, leaving the boy very much worse for wear.

That did not surprise Harry at all. Bellatrix was as ruthless as she was formidable, as he himself had learned over the previous weeks of spending time with her.

He smiled inwardly, feeling proud of the girl. She used to have a tendency to attempt to toy with her opponents, a habit that Harry had been working diligently to rid her of. It seemed that she was certainly taking on board what he had been teaching her and he was looking forward to seeing the next round of the duels that would take place tomorrow with the seventh years.

(Break)

The Potters and Arcturus once again joined the Marauders for breakfast the next morning, something that surprised the group as none of them were dueling today. The reason for them being there soon became clear however as the post was delivered and many people in the hall were recipients of the Daily Prophet.

Arcturus immediately snagged a copy from the table before glancing over the front page and nodding his approval, handing it to Harry when he was finished.

Harry frowned suspiciously at the man but read nonetheless, not at all expecting what the paper contained.

 **The Real Harry Potter**

By Barnabus Cuffe

 **Loyal readers, it seems that several people, who approached me on his behalf throughout today, pointed out my article in yesterdays edition may have been a little presumptive and premature in regards to the mystery that is Harry Potter, as to me. According to my previous sources the young man in question was nothing more than a dangerous lunatic, but it seems that I was wrong.**

 **One fellow student described him as 'very selfless' and 'always willing to help others when he can'.**

 **Professor Mortlake, the current Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor had this to say; "I don't like Potter, but I respect him and he always finishes top in the class."**

 **After digging further into the boy I was astounded to discover several other unknown things about him that certainly contradicts the theory that he is dark. One young lady shared an experience in which Potter saved herself and several others in the process.**

" **When Diagon Alley was attacked by Dementors at Christmas time it was Harry that sent them away, but when the journalist there asked him, he denied it because he doesn't like the attention."**

 **I can confirm that Mr. Potter was in fact there that day with the girl who offered this statement and it was even pointed out by Mr. Jigger, of Slugs and Jigger's Apothecary that he was certain that it was Mr. Potter that had cast the patronus that drove the foul creatures away, an amazing achievement for one so young.**

 **After hearing such glowing reports I felt that it was my duty to seek out the one man who would give an unbiased account of Mr. Potter and Albus Dumbledore did not hold back.**

" **There is no doubt that Mr. Potter is one of the most gifted individuals that we have had at Hogwarts in recent years but his academic achievements are only a small part of who he is," the headmaster began.**

" **When Hogsmeade was attacked it was Mr. Potter along with his closest friends and Brother that defended the students when the staff were not there to do so and even though I do not agree with his tactics, we as a community owe him our gratitude for preventing further unnecessary death and bloodshed."**

 **When I prompted the headmaster to continue, he took a moment to choose his next words carefully.**

" **The young man is a little rough around the edges, but maybe we need more wizards like him. What I can categorically say with complete confidence is that Mr. Potter is a good man, he just has his own code of morals in which he abides, he is a Potter after all."**

 **So there you have it folks, straight from those that know the boy. It seems that although the young Potter is, as Dumbledore describes, 'a little rough around the edges' he is a good man. I offer my sincerest apologies and gratitude to the boy for firstly, my inaccurate assumptions about him and secondly for what he has done for our community on more than one occasion. It seems that Mr. Potter has been in the right place at the right time for us thus far and I am eagerly waiting to see what it is he will do next.**

The first thing Harry noticed was the feeling of a thousand pair of eyes boring into him as though in the hall were looking towards him with mixed expressions, mostly awe and respect, but some not so pleased. He calmly folded the paper and looked towards Charlus questioningly but the man shook his head and nodded towards Arcturus, who Harry nodded was looking more than a little pleased with himself.

"Why?" he asked simply.

Arcturus shook his head and gestured for the teen to follow him. He knew that Harry would not be particularly pleased with the article, but he felt that he knew better in this situation.

The older man led him from the hall and into the very same classroom that he had his discussion with Cuffe, applying the same locking charms form the previous day.

"Regardless of how you feel, you need their support and that article would have alienated them all against you," he explained.

Harry sighed but nodded his understanding.

"You have, for whatever reason, a serious issue with accepting credit and gratitude where it is due and that will not help you with your overall goal," he continued. "So just take it for what it is, you're a good man and I refuse to see you slandered that way," he finished firmly.

Harry was not at all happy about the article, but he did understand. It would not do well for him if he were seen as some form of threat or evil, especially as he was the one making the most effort to eliminate the actual threat to wizarding Britain.

"Thank you," he responded genuinely.

"All I did was point out that he was mistaken, it was the others that gave the testimony," Arcturus pointed out. "All they printed was the truth, there's no denying that is there?"

Harry shook his head.

"Trust me, it is much better to have them on side than against you, it will work out better in the long run."

With that cleared up and Harry suitably placated, the duo made their way back to the Great Hall to enjoy the next couple of days of dueling before Harry would get to see his friends in action.

The secondary reason for the Potters and Arcturus being there became clear to the green eyed teen as throughout the next two days he spotted the two men conversing with several prevalent members of society in what he could only assume was them garnering support for their upcoming political battle. Although they had both kept him reasonably well updated, he had almost no clue as to what they were planning, but what he did know is that it was likely to eliminate any possible threat that Tom could have politically, if they were of course successful in their attempt.

(BREAK)

After spending the last two days watching the seventh year duels and the second round of the fourth and fifth year duels, Harry was looking forward to seeing his friends in action. He had been impressed by the level of skill shown by the seventh years in their duels and very happy that Frank had advanced to the next round with ease, though he was not at all surprised by this. He was not so happy that Rudolphus had been equally successful however.

He once again found himself impressed with Regulus Black also who again had no trouble in defeating his opponent, much to the delight of Arcturus.

As had become custom for the previous several days the students were again joined by the parents for breakfast in anticipation for the announcement of the duels. When the plates had been cleared, Mortlake stood and addressed the room.

"You all know how this works by now," he began. "Today will be a little different however as each winning student will have two duels but the usual rules of elimination apply," he explained.

The was a murmur of surprise at the revelation but it soon fell silent once more as the man lit the cup and placed the names inside.

"The first duel will be contested between Remus Lupin of Gryffindor and Damien Mulciber of Slytherin."

Mulciber glared across the room at the werewolf who did not even acknowledge the other boy.

"The second duel will be between Severus Snape of Slytherin and Sirius Black of Gryffindor," Mortlake announced.

The two boys looked murderously towards each other and Sirius smirked evilly, looking a lot more like Arcturus than Harry would have thought possible.

"I can't wait to get Snivellus one on one," he growled.

"The next duel will be Lily Evans of Gryffindor taking on Bellatrix Black of Slytherin."

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise. This would certainly be an interesting duel. Bellatrix had the experience as her biggest advantage, but Lily was probably the most creative person he had ever met when it came to dueling and she was a very formidable witch in her own right, a duel worthy of the final in his opinion.

The two combatants shared nothing more than a stiff nod before Mortlake finished the announcements.

The duel between Remus and Mulciber was rather brief as the werewolf simply overpowered the other boy with a myriad of blasting and cutting curses, not even allowing the Slytherin to mount any form of offense.

Sirius and Snape clearly wanted nothing more than to cause each other severe harm. The two traded curses and Harry found himself relieved on several occasions throughout the duel that he had taught the marauder more advanced levels of shielding and movement, which eventually won him the bout as he felled the other boy with a powerful bludgeoning hex to his wand hand after Snape failed to break his shield with a well placed cutting hex.

The duel between Lily and Bellatrix turned out to be more than anyone in the room had expected from two sixteen-year-old girls. They both began tentatively as the felt the other out, but the tentativeness didn't last long. Each girl pushed the other to their limits as Bellatrix attempted to overwhelm Lily with her speed and Lily countered her at every turn, each frustrating the other. By the end of the duel, both were breathing heavily from their efforts but Bellatrix eventually came out on top after Lily mistimed a dodge and was caught with a disarming charm.

What did surprise most in the room, including Harry, was that Bellatrix helped the other girl to her feet before offering her back wand and a respectful bow as she left the stage.

Once the room had settled down Mortlake again took to the podium to address the crowd.

"Now it is time to announce the semi-final matches for the sixth year category."

He entered the last four names of the year into the cup and waited for the first two names to be produced.

"The first semi-final will be contested between Remus Lupin of Gryffindor and Sirius Black, also of Gryffindor," he announced. "Which leaves Bellatrix Black taking on Theodore Nott of Slytherin."

Remus and Sirius shared a surprised look. Both knew that this would be a possibility but they had not truly accepted the fact that this could happen.

"It should be a fine fight," Arcturus declared.

Both boys were clearly reluctant, but nodded their agreement. Each knew they would have their work cut out for them in the upcoming duel.

"Regardless of what happens up there, it means nothing, but I am going to kick your arse you filthy mongrel," Remus whispered as he pulled his friend into a hug.

Sirius chuckled.

"You bet Moony, but I wouldn't be so sure," he returned seriously.

The two teens broke apart and Remus exited the hall to prepare.

"Any advice?" Sirius questioned Harry who shook his head.

"I'm not getting involved, it wouldn't be fair," he replied.

Sirius nodded his understanding and smirked.

"I shouldn't have expected anything less," he mused.

As the time of the duel drew nearer it was clear that both Remus and Sirius were feeling nervous. Each knew that the other was more than exceptional with their wands and Harry suspected that it would be a very close fight indeed between the two.

After what seemed like an eternity to the two combatants they were ushered on stage for the battle to begin. Both boys bowed respectfully and shook hands before Mortlake commanded them to begin.

At first the two traded spells, as was their usual approach during training before they would up the ante. It was Sirius that broke the deadlock as he caught Remus with a cutting curse on the shoulder and followed it up with a banishing curse, hoping to end the fight quickly.

Remus recovered from the cutting curse quickly and sidestepped the banisher, firing off a few bone breakers and a borderline pain curse, which certainly got Sirius's attention as it caught him on the hip.

The dog animagus smirked and the duel really turned up a few notches from there with each of the teens firing rapidly, each spell increasing in intent with each one sent towards the opponent.

The two boys enthralled the crowd as they watched them shield and dodge the onslaught from the other with expert accuracy and precision.

The fight came to an abrupt end however as Remus hit home with a perfectly timed bone splintering curse that hit Sirius on the collar bone of his favored arm, causing him to drop his wand and it being summoned to the werewolf before it even hit the floor.

Neither came away from the duel uninjured as they both required medical attention for the various cuts, bruises and broken bones they had sustained but both were smiling and shared a tight hug after their wounds had been tended to.

The two boys joined the Gryffindor table once more and they were met with a further round of applause and congratulations for a well-fought duel.

"As I expected, a damn good fight, you should both be proud of that," Arcturus praised the pair.

The two marauders offered the man a grateful smile.

"But I suspect that you will have your work cut out for you Lupin," he continued as he nodded towards the stage in which Bellatrix had decimated Nott to the point he was being stretchered off the platform.

Remus grimaced as he saw the state of the other boy. Clearly Bellatrix had something against him as both of his legs were clearly broken and the girl was still glaring at him with intent, something that Harry noted also.

Remus simply nodded and fell silent as Mortlake stood to speak to the crowd once more.

"So our final for the sixth years will consist of Bellatrix Black of Slytherin facing off against Remus Lupin of Gryffindor," he informed the room. "This will take place next week alongside the other finals, but tomorrow we have the semi-finals of the seventh year students to enjoy."

With that declaration, the room began to empty and Harry, along with the rest of the Marauders, headed back to Gryffindor Tower where he planned on getting a good night sleep to prepare for the second part of the trials the following morning.

(BREAK)

The next day turned out to be a little anti-climatic for Harry, particularly the second part of his trial. He arrived at the ministry and simply spent the day demonstrating his defense capabilities. It started off simple enough with an auror level dummy firing against him, this being increased throughout the day to determine his aptitude in shielding and dodging.

He did however leave that day with a few injuries that would take a few days to recover from, particularly a nasty gash he had received across his stomach during the final onslaught of the dummies.

He had a strong suspicion of what the final test would be but he would wait and see. He first needed to recover from his latest assessment and enjoy the finals of the tournament at Hogwarts before he had to concern himself with that.

On top of that, the fast approaching ball was occupying his time more than anything else and he began to feel a little nervous about this, but equally excited also to spend some time with Bellatrix, something that the pair hadn't managed much recently due to the tournament and trials.

He arrived back a the castle to the news that Frank and Rudolphus would be facing each other in the seventh year finals along with Remus, Bellatrix and Regulus Black also in their respective years, which he was looking forward to witnessing.

The following few days passed quickly enough with Harry spending much of the time simply relaxing and nursing his wounds in the company of the Marauders, Lily, Marlene and Alice, who all felt the need to fawn over him after they had learnt the extent of his injuries from his latest trial at the ministry. He managed to take it in the good humor that the gesture had been intended with, but that did not stop him feeling irritated at times, particularly with James who was intent on coddling him every moment of the day until he knew that Harry was in fact fine.

He finally got a respite from the attention when the day of the finals arrived and the focus of the group shifted to the upcoming duels, Remus vs. Bellatrix in particular.

They all noticed that the boy was looking a little peaky, which was no surprise to the Marauders as the full moon was only a couple of days away. His resistance to magic would be much higher than normal but he would tire considerably quicker also, a distinct disadvantage in a duel with someone like Bellatrix who would be exceedingly difficult to put away early.

As it happened, the final duels between the fourth and fifth years were over reasonably quickly with Regulus again coming out on top, though his opponent in this match was much more skilled than his previous two.

When the time arrived for Bellatrix and Remus to meet, the boy was looking pale and sickly indeed, but Harry knew that he would give it his all and not back down from the girl.

Bellatrix too noted the boys demeanor, but simply put it down to nerves and shook her head as they were given the go ahead to begin.

Remus started out strong and Bellatrix found herself having to shield and dodge. For the first two minute she was unable to fire off a single spell, as the onslaught from the boy had been both unexpected and equally frustrating as the continuous stream of spells careened towards her. She knew that she could not keep up this game for long and had to find a way to go on the offensive before she was overpowered by the Gryffindor; he had certainly turned out to be a lot more powerful than she had imagined.

Fortunately for her the boy's onslaught began to wane and she took advantage of the lull in the fire to put her in a position in which she could mount an offense of her own. She saw that the boy was breathing more heavily than she was and sweating from his exertions profusely, which gave her an idea.

She knew that he still had a few powerful spells in him so she quickly erected an atlas shield, much to the surprise of the crowd, minus one boy who had taught it to her after guessing that she was capable of it. Within the shield, which was being bombarded by explosion curses, she began twirling her wand and building enough power to achieve what she wanted. Once this was done she dropped the shield while crouching, as Harry had taught her and directed the spell towards the boy.

Remus managed to produce a shield of his own but he was to exhausted to maintain it and the spell broke through. The last thing he remembered before the darkness overtook him was a jet of silver light heading towards him.

Bellatrix was elated and a little relieved that her plan had worked and she whooped internally as the boy's shield fell to her concussion spell that Harry had taught her.

She knew that the boy would wake soon however as she hadn't over-powered it so she summoned his wand, declaring her the victor.

After he had been tended to by the healers, Remus turned to be faced with sight of Bellatrix offering him his wand, which he gladly took back.

"Not bad Lupin, you almost had me a few times there," she admitted neutrally.

Remus nodded.

"I'd like a rematch sometime," he replied.

Bellatrix smirked and nodded her agreement before leaving the stage and returning to her family.

"Good show Lupin," Arcturus praised as Remus joined them. "You pack quite a punch in your spells."

Remus smiled.

"She's bloody good," he conceded as he rubbed his aching head.

"That she is," Arcturus agreed as he shot a knowing look towards Harry.

The final duel between Frank and Rudolphus turned out to be nothing short of a two-man war. Clearly there was a serious hate between the pair which could be seen as they dueled in a most violent manner, causing Mortlake to intervene a few times to warn them both about using certain spells. What Harry did get from watching the fight was a firm reminder of why Frank Longbottom had grown to gain the reputation of one of the best aurors of his generation as he managed to finally hit Rudolphus with a powerful bludgeoning hex in the face, knocking the Slytherin unconscious for several minutes.

After Rudolphus had regained consciousness and had finished glaring at Frank, Dumbledore stood to address the room to conclude the formalities of the tournament.

"I wish to congratulate all of the victors here today for their equally fine performances, you have all done yourselves very proud," he began, his eyes twinkling merrily. "All that is left of the festivities now is the eagerly anticipated ball that will take place tomorrow evening, which I would like to invite the champions, along with their chosen partners, to open with a formal dance, it is being held in your honour after all."

Harry immediately felt sick to his stomach at the memories of opening the ball for the triwizard tournament but fought it down quickly knowing that once again he had no choice in the matter unless he stood Bellatrix up, something he had no intention of doing.

"I would also finally like to invite the parents here to also attend the ball," the headmaster continued. "You have shared in the festivities thus far and it would be a shame for you to miss out on the celebrations," he offered with a slight bow. "Until then, you are of course welcome to spend the rest of the day here with your children if you so wish," he finished, dismissing the hall as he took his seat.

"It has been a long time since we attended a ball," Dorea spoke up as the group exited.

"You're not seriously coming," James stated disbelievingly, sounding a little horrified at the prospect of his parents attending.

"You heard Dumbledore, it would be a shame for us to miss it," Charlus returned with a smirk, freezing James in his tracks.

"But you hate Dumbledore, you always say that his is a twinkly-eyed old git," he reminded him.

"Well, he does have the occasional good idea," Charlus mused, settling the matter.

Harry did not mind at all that Charlus and Dorea would be there. For him it was just another chance to spend a little time with them, time that he never had before.

(BREAK)

After tying a note to one of the school owls for Bellatrix, explaining that he would meet her in the Entrance Hall at 7pm, Harry left the castle and grounds before apparating to the ministry for his final day of trials.

Once he had completed check-in and made his way to the Magical Games and Sports department, he was once again met by Simeon Jones, who greeted him with his usual warm handshake before leading him into the same open room Harry had become familiar with.

"Well Mr. Potter, you have certainly impressed us beyond our expectations so far," Jones began sincerely. "But today we will be putting you to the test in a few real duels."

Harry nodded, fully expecting that this was what they day would consist of.

"First of all you will duel one of our junior aurors and if you are successful, you will face a senior auror," Jones explained. "If you somehow manage to defeat the senior auror, you will then face another member of staff from a specialty department."

Harry again nodded and smirked inwardly at the implications.

"Your first opponent will be junior auror Dawlish."

Harry again smirked internally. He remembered Dawlish from the time he had attempted to arrest Dumbledore as a senior auror.

The man entered the room, walking confidently to face the teen and gave a tilt of his head in acknowledgement, which Harry returned respectfully.

"You may begin when you are ready gentleman," Jones offered as he stepped out of the line of fire.

Harry immediately flicked his wand into his hand and began firing at Dawlish who quickly raised a shield, clearly not expecting the speed of which the spells were sent his way.

The second surprise for the auror came shortly afterwards when the first blasting curse sent by the boy towards him destroyed his shield, leaving him vulnerable to the bone breaker that hit the left side of his rib cage and the tooth pulling charm that removed several of his teeth causing his eyes to water considerably. Because of this he had no chance of stopping of stopping the flipendo charm that sent him tumbling through the air nor the following bludgeoner that collided with his sternum before he even hit the floor.

Wincing in pain, all he could do was allow his wand to fall from his grasp in what he hoped would be a clear sign of surrender.

"Very good Mr. Potter," Jones praised. "But I fear you next challenge will not be so easy."

Harry frowned as a redheaded woman entered the room, noting that she looked very familiar indeed, but he could not quite recognize her.

"Mr. Potter, this is senior auror Bones," Jones introduced the woman.

Harry's eyes widened in recognition as he realized he would now be facing off against the future head of the DMLE.

Amelia offered him a smile as she took her position on the opposite side of the room and readied herself.

"Begin," Jones commanded.

Amelia went on the offensive instantly and began firing several debilitating curses towards Harry who had to use all of his speed to dodge them. He now understood why she had been known as a fierce fighter during his previous timeline as the spells audibly whistle by him, leaving craters and large holes in the wall and floor behind him.

He continued to dodge while he attempted to figure out a pattern in which the woman worked with but there simply wasn't one. Her spells were random and sporadic, something he had not expected from an auror. After a few more moments of dodging he was forced into action as a cutting curse from the woman grazed his shoulder and he barely avoided the rupturing curse that followed, but that was when he noted something about the way she fought and he breathed a sigh of relief.

'Just like Bellatrix,' he mused.

He began dodging again waiting for the elaborate circular motion he could sense was coming, quickly firing a perfectly placed disarming charm when he saw it, that sent the senior auror sprawling across the ground and her wand flying towards the teen.

Harry smiled triumphantly only to frown once more when the wand paused half way towards him and flew back to it's owners waiting hand.

"Wandless summoning charm," he deduced correctly.

What was clear was the woman would be very difficult to take out if she could simply summon her wand back and he could not mount a decent offense. That was when he was hit with a sudden idea. It was unorthodox, but he was certain it would work.

Before the woman, who looked like she was having too much fun for Harry's liking, could settle back into her offensive game, the teen quickly conjured a large ring of fire around himself which dissipated immediately leaving an empty space where the boy had been standing.

To the other two occupants in the room it looked as though he had disappeared in a burst of flames, but in actuality, he had used the brief seconds to disillusion himself and silence his footsteps, leaving him both invisible and soundless.

Amelia immediately was on edge and began circling on the spot, looking for any sign of the teen while Jones frowned in confusion. There were anti-apparation wards on the room so there is no way he could have gone.

Harry began slowly making his way towards the witch knowing that if he moved too quickly he would be spotted. As he got within two feet of the woman she became aware of his presence, but it was too late. Harry quickly seized her wand hand and through her expertly over his shoulder, landing on her.

Amelia gasped as she found herself on her back with the wind knocked out of her and her eyes widened as the boy appeared once more looking victorious. It was then that she noticed he had a very firm grip on her wrist and a silver dagger was pressed gently up against her throat. She swallowed deeply and released her wand knowing that she had been defeated.

The boy simply smiled at her and pulled her to her feet before bowing and setting her free.

"It's been a long time since someone managed to land a spell on me," she sighed as she retrieved her wand.

Harry chuckled.

"You, like a friend of mine, have a tendency to elaborate your circular movements," Harry replied with a shake of his head. "I didn't expect the wandless summoning charm though," he added with a frown.

"It's useful to know," Amelia returned with a smirk. "We should definitely do this again, I had fun," she offered.

"Tell that to my shoulder," Harry mumbled. "But it was fun," he conceded.

"You should consider joining the aurors, merlin knows we could use more people of your caliber."

Harry shook his head.

"I used to want to be an auror, but there's too many rules in that for me, I wouldn't last a year before being fired."

Amelia giggled.

"A typical Potter then, a rogue," she replied with a grin.

"Well my brother is planning on joining so perhaps he can break the family tradition."

Amelia smiled.

"I hope to see you again soon Mr. Potter, it certainly was a pleasure."

"Call me Harry Auror Bones, Mr. Potter makes me feel older than I am."

"Then it's Amelia to you, when I am off duty of course."

Harry shook his head amusedly as the woman left the room.

"Damn Potter, that was impressive," Jones broke in. "I didn't expect you to beat her, but you made her smile, Bones never smiles," he explained, clearly impressed.

"Well perhaps it takes someone proving themselves to her to do that," Harry shrugged.

"Perhaps," Jones agreed. "But now that brings us to your final challenge, something I did not expect you to get to. Please wait here for a few moments while fetch them," he requested.

Harry waited as instructed, healing himself and feeling elated when Jones returned with a grey robed man in tow, a man whose gait was very familiar to him.

'Filmore', he mused.

"The name of this man is unimportant Mr. Potter, all you need to know is that you need to defeat him," Jones informed him.

Harry nodded.

"The boy beat Bones?" Filmore growled.

"He did," Jones confirmed.

"Then I expect nothing short of the best from you kid," Filmore continued, throwing a blood-boiling curse towards Harry the moment he had finished speaking.

Harry sidestepped the curse and prepared himself for battle.

He held the advantage in this situation as he knew Filmore very well and had become accustomed to the way he fought. The man was dangerous, there was no doubt about that and his strengths lied in deadly curses and charms, certainly the best that Harry had ever come across in this field. But he did have one weakness.

Although he was certainly far beyond average in Transfiguration, he was nowhere near as skilled in this branch of magic as he was everything else and Harry already knew how to defeat him, as he had done so several times before.

He continued to dodge, shield and bat away the curses Filmore fired at him, waiting for the man to become frustrated, as he knew he would. His moment to strike soon came as Filmore became reckless and was focused only on cursing him, giving Harry the chance to conjure several spikes made of ice and sending them towards his now off guard opponent.

As expected, Filmore panicked briefly and through himself to the ground given Harry another chance to take the man out. He carefully aimed his wand at the man's shoes and transfigured the leather into lead, rooting the man to the ground.

Filmore was now attempting to undo the transfiguration and missed Harry conjuring half a dozen swords above him that dropped and pinned him to the floor by his robes. Before he could comprehend what had happened, he was hit with a powerful stinging hex on the buttocks causing him to hiss in pain. It was then he noticed that he was no longer in possession of his wand as the teen waved it at him, smirking as he did so.

Filmore shook his head and growled as the boy undid the transfigurations and handed him his wand, pulling him to his feet once he was free. Although he hated to admit it, the boy had impressed him with his skill and intuitive dueling.

"You're only sixteen?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Harry replied out of habit.

Filmore smirked and gave the boy a nod of approval.

"Don't be surprised if I come knocking for you once you graduate kid," he grumbled as he made his way towards the door.

"I learnt from the best sir," Harry called after him, causing the man to shake his head once more before exiting the room, mumbling to himself.

"That concludes your trial Mr. Potter, we will be in touch shortly with our decision, though I'm not afraid to say that it would be a damn shock if you aren't offered it," Jones cut in.

"Thank you Mr. Jones," Harry replied respectfully before he exited the room, glad that he had not sustained any injuries; he did have a ball to attend after all.

(BREAK)

He checked his reflection one final time before attempting to tousle his ever-messy hair into something more presentable, quickly giving it up as a wasted effort. He made his way into the dorm to meet up with Peter, James and Sirius, Remus having gone home earlier in the day to experience his first transformation with the aide of the potion.

He straightened out his charcoal grey fitted robes and checked they were on securely, noting that the others had also dressed. Sirius, as expected, was wearing black robes with a silver trim, James, a set of royal blue robes and Peter some light green of his own.

"You seem far more excited about finding out who I am taking than the ball itself," Harry sighed, noting that Sirius had been very restless and irritable the last few hours.

"Why can't you just tell us and then I'll leave you alone," Sirius whined in reply.

"No," Harry answered simply. "You'll see soon enough."

Sirius pouted slightly and frowned.

"You should be more focused on Marlene Padfoot," Peter suggested.

"I am," Sirius huffed.

Peter chuckled and shook his head.

"I hope Moony will be ok," James cut in, a worried expression forming on his face.

"It will be the best transformation he's ever had," Harry assured him confidently.

James offered him a weak but grateful smile before checking his watch.

"Time to head off," he declared, immediately leading the rest of the group from the dorm and into the common room.

"I need to meet Rosalina," Peter explained before exiting the tower to pick up his date.

"I need to go to," Harry explained.

"So she's not a Gryffindor," Sirius stated louder than necessary.

Any reply Harry had was cut off by the arrival of Lily, Marlene and Alice at the top of the girl's staircase and he smirked before discreetly pushing Sirius towards them, making his escape after he had done so.

He made his way towards the Entrance Hall, a few nervous butterflies in his stomach accompanying him. He reached his destination to find it packed with students, males and females alike waiting for their dates to arrive or for friends those that had already paired off.

Not spotting Bellatrix, Harry made his way towards the entrance of the dungeons where she would emerge from, bumping into Ted Tonks who was evidently waiting for Andromeda.

"It's nice to see you in a more dignified setting Tonks," he greeted the boy with a smirk.

Ted flushed brightly and stammered incoherently.

Harry chuckled and held up his hands in a placating manner.

"I was only joking, it's good to see you," he greeted him warmly.

"You too Potter," Ted returned, breathing a sigh of relief. "Who are you meeting here?"

"I'm taking Bellatrix," Harry revealed.

Ted shook his head and gave a chuckle of his own.

"So Andi's master plan worked then?"

"Not exactly," Harry replied sheepishly, the memory of asking Bellatrix to the ball surfacing.

"Well, you're going together so it must have worked out in the end," Ted observed.

Harry nodded and gave the boy a nudge as he noticed Bellatrix and Andromeda making their way up the stairs from the dungeon.

The boy flushed again as he took in the sight of his date that had arrived in an elegant, form fitting black dress.

"You look amazing," he managed to stammer out after catching himself.

"Thank you," Andromeda whispered shyly and took the arm the boy had offered her. "Have fun," she whispered to her sister before being led away.

"I can't even put into words how incredible you look," Harry whispered genuinely as he took in Bellatrix's appearance.

She was wearing a simple purple dress that both hugged and showed off the curves and contours of her body in all the right places. Her thick, wavy hair had been elaborately styled into an intricate bun and she had applied very light make up around her eyes and cheeks, not that she needed it at all.

"Thank you," she replied, fighting the additional tinge of pink that was forming on her cheeks. "You certainly clean up well," she offered with a smirk.

"Well I do try," Harry responded, flicking a piece of non-existent lint from the shoulder of his robe.

It was then that he noticed both James and Sirius descending from the stairs, arm in arm with Lily and Marlene.

Sirius immediately began craning his neck looking for Harry but it was James that spotted him first, a look of shock coming over him which he schooled quickly as he nodded towards the boy.

"He's over there Sirius," he sighed, noticing that his friend was still searching the crowd.

"Merlin he's done alright for himself there hasn't he," Sirius noted when he first spotted Harry and his date.

James laughed and shook his head amusedly.

"You really shouldn't look at your cousin that way," he pointed out.

"My what!" Sirius yelped as he took a closer look at whom it was Harry had brought. "Oh fuck, this isn't he good," he added in a panicked tone.

Before the other three could stop him, Sirius stormed towards the pair, the others pursuing him quickly.

"What the hell is this?" he asked disbelievingly as he reached the duo.

"Hello Sirius," Harry greeted him with a sigh.

He knew that the boy would be shocked but he didn't expect him to react the way he was.

"You can't date her," Sirius continued firmly.

"And why's that?" Harry questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I already told you about her, I warned you, she's a soulless monster," Sirius returned accusatorily, pointing at his cousin with a shaking finger.

"And that is enough from you," Marlene snapped as she arrived and grabbed her date by the ear, pulling him away from Harry and Bellatrix.

"But…" Sirius stammered.

"But nothing Sirius Black," Marlene hissed. "I will not have you ruin this night for anyone, especially me," she declared angrily.

Sirius looked as though he wanted to continue his protest but Marlene led him away, still pulling him by the ear.

"Don't worry about Sirius," James sighed. "He'll get over it once the shock has worn off."

Harry nodded.

"You seem to be taking it well," Harry observed.

James shrugged and shook his head.

"I wouldn't want to be a hypocrite and judge you the way I'm going to be judged for bringing Lily," he responded.

Harry nodded his understanding. Although himself, his family and friends were not concerned by blood, a large portion of the wizarding community were and would look down on James for bringing Lily just because she was a muggleborn and he was from a prominent pureblood family.

"Anyway, have fun you two," James continued. "I'm sure Mum will be pleased," he added in a whisper so that only Harry would hear.

"She already knows," Harry shrugged.

"So you can tell her but not your own brother," James mock pouted.

"I didn't have a choice, she blackmailed me," Harry complained.

James laughed.

"Yeah she's good at that," he sighed. "Enjoy."

He then exited with Lily on his arms leaving Harry and Bellatrix almost alone, with only the other champions of the tournament and their dates present.

Frank and Alice were talking quietly to one side while Regulus had brought someone who looked suspiciously like a girl in Ravenclaw from his own time. The last couple was two fourth years that were clearly very shy around each other.

Soon enough the doors to the Great Hall opened and Professor McGonagall exited wearing a tartan dress.

"Gather round," she commanded in her usual stern fashion.

She paused and her eyes widened slightly when she noticed Bellatrix being led towards her by a member of her own house.

"There will certainly be a few surprised people when they see you two together," she mused aloud. "20 points each for house unity," she added with a smile. "Now, you will enter the hall in order of year group starting with the fourth years," she instructed. "You are only required to dance once and then the evening is yours to do as you please with," she explained. "Any questions?"

The students all shook their heads.

"Just remember that you are representing the school and there will be no pranks," She warned, glaring at Harry specifically who saluted the witch in compliance.

McGonagall shook her head but smiled despite herself.

"Other than that, have fun," She finished warmly as she began leading them into the hall where the rest of the students and parents were sat at the tables surrounding the dance floor that had been place at the front of the room.

As the champions and their partners situated themselves ready to start the proceedings a smattering of whispering could be heard and Harry did not have to guess who it was being aimed at.

"Just ignore them, this isn't about anyone of except for us," he whispered as he took Bellatrix's hand, placed his hand on her hip and offered her a genuine smile.

"I was going to say the same thing" she replied, giving him a bright smile of her own as the first note played and the two began their first dance together.

(BREAK)

"Ouch, let go, that really hurts," Sirius growled as he was dragged into the Great Hall by a furious Marlene who forced him into a chair.

"I meant what I said Sirius, I will not have you ruin this night for me," Marlene retorted heatedly.

Sirius scowled and faced the wall, steaming in his own annoyance and anger.

"What is the big deal with Harry bringing your cousin here?" Marlene asked, taking a seat next to her date.

Sirius sighed and shook his head.

"You don't know her like I do, she is pure evil, trust me," he implored. "Harry will only get hurt from this."

"So you did it to look out for him?" Marlene questioned.

"He's like a brother to me of course I care," Sirius returned irritably.

"Don't you think he is capable of looking out for himself and making these decisions for himself?" Marlene asked further.

Sirius shook his head again.

"He doesn't know her either."

"And what makes you think that you do?"

"I grew up with her, I remember how she was."

Marlene sighed.

"Are you surprised that she used to be like that with the father that she has? I'm surprised that you're not more tainted with the family you grew up with," she added.

"I have Aunt Dorea and Uncle Charlus, I've spent most of the last few years with them," Sirius explained.

"And what family does your Aunt Dorea come from?"

"She's a Black, but she's an exception," Sirius whispered as the champions made their way into the hall.

"You haven't spent any time with Bellatrix in years, she's probably different," Marlene hissed.

Sirius shook his head in denial.

"If you don't trust her, can't you at least trust Harry? Do you think he would be here with her if she was as evil as you say?"

Sirius swallowed and shook his head again as the music began to play.

"Just look at them Sirius," Marlene implored. "When have you ever seen Harry smile like that?"

Reluctantly, the boy looked towards his friend and felt his heart sink as he realized the truth of what Marlene had said. Of course, he had seen Harry smile before, but not like how he was now. He seemed so relaxed, so carefree and Sirius felt more than a twinge of guilt for his actions towards them earlier. He even noticed the similar smile that Bellatrix wore and could not deny the sincerity behind it.

"Never," he finally agreed. "Merlin knows he deserves it," he added.

Marlene smiled and patted his knee affectionately.

It was then that Sirius caught sight of an odd movement in his peripheral vision and charged into action before even considering the consequences.

He bounded across the dance floor and knocked both Harry and Bellatrix out of the way just as large bowl of pumpkin juice fell from high above, soaking him completely.

The whole room seemed to freeze at this and he growled as he drew his wand, immediately firing a powerful bludgeoning hex towards the perpetrator.

Rudolphus Lestrange screamed in agony as the spell smashed into his sternum, leaving him wheezing on the ground and convulsing in pain.

"You bastards will not ruin this for them," Sirius spat furiously, the pumpkin juice still dripping from him.

James, Peter and Frank, who all drew their wands, clearly itching to curse the Slytherins for what they had done, quickly joined him.

"ENOUGH," Dumbledore bellowed, his usual twinkle absent. "Mr. Lestrange you will be coming with me and there will be no more incidents like this unless you wish to find yourself in the most severe trouble," he warned as he cleared the room and seized the offending boy under the arm to remove him from the hall.

The fury expressed by the headmaster was enough to cow the rest of the Slytherins who simply sat down and tried their best to merge into the wall to avoid the glares from the rest of those in the hall.

To say that Harry was surprised by what had happened in the previous thirty seconds would be a huge understatement, but he certainly appreciated Sirius's intervention, as shocking as it was. He himself had been focused on nothing more than Bellatrix and had not noticed what Rudolphus was up to.

Noticing that his fellow Marauder was about to exit the Great Hall he grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"You do realize that you have a beautiful girl who has been waiting for this night for weeks expecting you to make it a night to remember," he whispered.

Sirius sighed and shook his head.

"It's too late for that," he pointed out, gesturing to his soaking wet robes and disheveled appearance.

"It's easily fixed," Harry chuckled as he drew his wand and flicked it several times in the boy's direction to clean and dry his robes and hair.

Sirius dragged his hand through his now unsoiled hair.

"Why would you help me after I was such an arse?" he questioned his friend.

"You did jump in front of a falling punch bowl for us," Harry returned with an amused chuckle.

Sirius snorted and shook his head.

"For what it is worth I am sorry and to you Bellatrix, it wasn't fair for me to stick my nose in."

Harry raised an eyebrow towards him.

"Why the change of heart?" he asked.

"I saw you smile like you were, even I can see how much you like each other."

Both Harry and Bellatrix blushed but were luckily saved once more by Marlene.

"And this is where I lead you away again," she explained as she pulled Sirius away causing Harry to laugh at the pout his friend wore.

He turned back to face Bellatrix and was greeted by that bright smile he was very fond of.

"Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm once more so they could continue their dance.

Throughout the night the pair spent the time dancing with each other or fetching drinks when they were thirsty, not allowing anyone to cut into the evening they were spending together.

More than once Harry had caught sight of people watching them, most appearing to be happy at the unexpected couple.

Arcturus was the first one to smile approvingly at him; his usually cold eyes alight with warmth as he led his wife around the dance floor.

Druella Black gave him a knowing smirk and the students that knew him shook their heads disbelievingly at them before smiling also.

Much faster than either of them wanted it to, the end of the night quickly drew in and Harry found himself with his arms wrapped around the girl who was content to have him so close, her own arms draped around his neck as they simply swayed to a slow number, enjoying the warmth of one another.

"Thank you for asking me to come with you," Bellatrix whispered.

Harry snorted lightly.

"Thank you for coming with me," he replied with a smile.

Bellatrix leaned in closer and sighed gently.

"What happens after tonight though? Do we just go back to how it was?" she asked sounding a little worried.

Harry shook his head.

"Why would we do that? Everyone has seen us together now," he pointed out.

Bellatrix nodded.

"I just thought that this would be it," she admitted quietly.

"Do you want it to be?" Harry asked, pushing her gently away from him so he could look her in the eyes.

Bellatrix shook her head firmly and swallowed deeply.

"No, I want more times like this," she answered shyly.

"So do I," Harry responded, more than a little relieved.

He pulled her closer once more and continued swaying with her, not paying attention to the hall that was slowly emptying as people either made their way home or back to their dormitories.

As the song ended the two reluctantly separated, both feeling disappointed that the night had come to an end.

"I'll walk you back to the dungeons," Harry offered and led the girl from the room and towards the staircase, each of them walking much slower than they usually would to drag out the inevitable parting.

"I guess this is it," Harry sighed as they reached the entrance to the Slytherin Common room.

Bellatrix nodded and allowed herself to be pulled into his arms once more.

"You know it's harder to leave if you keep hugging me," Harry chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, not at all wanting to leave.

They eventually again separated and locked eyes, neither saying a word but simply basked in the gaze of the other.

That was until, slowly but surely, Bellatrix closed the gap between them, this time pressing her lips gently against his, both of them erupting in butterflies and happiness as they shared their first kiss.

It was chaste, unpracticed but equally perfect.

With more reluctance than ever they broke apart after a few moments and rested their foreheads against each other's, both sighing at the sudden loss of contact.

"It's even harder to leave when you do that," Harry chuckled.

"What if I don't want you to leave?" Bellatrix returned seriously.

Harry met her eyes and could immediately see his own want and desire reflected in her violet pools.

"Then I won't," he whispered.

Bellatrix smiled, her eyes positively sparkling with happiness.

"I didn't mean that," she giggled.

Harry flushed slightly at what she was implying but controlled it quickly before taking her hand and meeting her gaze again.

"Neither did I," he responded as sincerely as possible.

Bellatrix's eyes widened.

"Do you really mean it?" She whispered disbelievingly.

Harry simply nodded and smiled.

"Then don't go," Bellatrix requested.

"I won't," he assured her.

The pair shared a final kiss before Harry pulled himself away from her and began heading back towards Gryffindor Tower, his heart and head feeling the lightest it ever had.

 **A/N**

 **OK Guys I have come to a decision regarding this story and it is something that I hadn't ever considered until I began writing this story. So it is with deep regret and sadness that the next chapter will be the last of Stepping Back, but fear not, I will be continuing it in a sequel.**

 **There are a few reasons for this, which I will briefly explain now.**

 **The main reason is the fact that my writing style has changed drastically since I started this and for the sake of consistency I find myself reverting back to poor habits, which is very annoying.**

 **The other reason is that I have four or five different ways that this could play out and I'm not decided on which I want to go with. The way I am means that I will probably do a lot of writing and playing around with the story until I am completely satisfied with how it will continue and end. That being said, it could be a while until I have figured everything out but again I urge you to fear not. I will begin posting a new story after the next chapter of this while working on the sequel, which I can promise you will be posted ASAP so you will soon be getting updates for two stories simultaneously from myself.**

 **As usual guys follow favourite and review.**

 **TBR**


	10. Revelations of a Time-traveller

Chapter 10: Revelations of a Time-Traveller

Bellatrix Black sighed gently as she worried her lip, the feeling of frustration and confusion finally becoming too much to push aside as she had been doing over the last week.

A fortnight had passed since the ball and for the most part, it had been some of the best days of her life. Herself and Harry had begun spending much more time together, growing closer with the more they did so, simply enjoying that closeness they were sharing.

They met as they always had, choosing seclusion over places public, although every person in the castle was now aware of them, they were still private people and preferred to bond in solitude. However good things had become, something was bothering the young woman, well, in actuality something was bothering the boy of her thoughts and that in turn gave concern to her.

She couldn't at all fathom what could be causing Harry to be the way he was. It wasn't overtly obvious that something was wrong, but Bellatrix was, if anything, very observant and she could see the subtle shifts in his moods and demeanor. For the most part he was his usual calm and happy self, but there were times she would catch a glimpse of someone lost, someone not quite in the moment and someone who was hiding things.

The was no doubting the kind of person that he was, she had seen that on many an occasion, but the more she pondered her doubts, the more she came to realise several things. As these thoughts crept in to her mind she saw that even though she knew the man he was becoming, she knew next to nothing about him at all and that worried her and she couldn't help but think that she was falling for a stranger.

She only began to notice it after ball and the pair began spending more time together, having more in depth conversations. He seemed eager to learn all about her and would take a keen interest in hearing all about her life, her dreams and those that meant something to her. It was when the roles were reversed that his desire to share equal part of himself was non-existent and his curiosity tamed.

Whenever she would ask about his life before Hogwarts he would suddenly, but very briefly, look incredibly guilty before dismissing it us unimportant. At first she had assumed that he was merely much more shy than she believed, but it soon became apparent that he simply couldn't or didn't want to share, though he constantly looked torn on the matter.

She sighed again and shook her head in exasperation.

To her it seemed that what they had had quickly become one sided. She too was rather closed off usually but she was making a genuine effort of opening up and allowing herself to become vulnerable to the boy but she had almost lost all faith that he was willing to do the same and she found herself questioning her own wisdom in allowing herself to share as much as she had.

The fact is that it hurt feeling that a relationship between the two was an individual pursuit, that he couldn't trust her the same way she was trusting him and that he seemed both unwilling and unable to give the same.

Something had to change and soon because Bellatrix Black did not like feeling exposed the way she was and it was beginning to break her heart, something she would not allow.

She smiled sadly as she came to another realization.

Harry either had to put as much effort into them as she was or she would have to end it as it was, a thought that left her heart sinking into the very pit of her stomach.

She wiped her eyes and schooled her emotions back into the practiced stoic mask before unrolling a sheet of parchment and beginning to write.

One way or the other it would be dealt with.

(BREAK)

For Harry, the two weeks following the ball had been spent cycling through a number of emotions; Stress, confusion and guilt being the primary ones but he was happy for the most part, which only added to his confusion. It was as though the negative he had been experiencing was at first merely an undercurrent, which he had been able to brush aside, but this had quickly developed into something more dominant, more taxing and ultimately more obvious.

Things had been going so well between himself and Bellatrix but he simply had underestimated the level of closeness and openness that a relationship would involve. In any other case this would not have been an issue, particularly based on how much he had begun to care for the girl, but the fact was, as things were, he was torn. He was feeling things he had never felt nor had he expected to but this wasn't the issue. That honour fell to himself, how he was here and the reason for being so.

Confliction. That was the only way to describe what he faced and once more he could thank his naivety in matters of the heart for the position he now found himself in.

Of course he had at times found girls appealing, his awe of Cho Chang could attest to that. But beyond aesthetic appreciation of the opposite sex, he had lacked any exposure to intimacy, true intimacy in which he had begun to know a female both inside and out. Cho had been beautiful, that he had no doubt of, but what he was feeling for Bellatrix didn't compare at the basest of levels. She was beautiful both inside and out, just another thing that confused the teen, but something he undoubtedly wanted to have more and more. For how attracted to Cho he had been, he could only compare that as a whisper in the wind to what Bellatrix did to him. The whisper that was Cho was nothing to the wind that Bellatrix was and the thought left him sighing deeply in his frustration as he once again pondered his predicament.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and exited the room of requirement, leaving much damage and destruction in his wake, more than he usually would.

The fact was that Harry Potter had been sent here for a reason and that reason was Tom Marvolo Riddle and not Bellatrix Black, as much that thought ached him so.

He shook his head and grimaced at the thought, a wave of sadness halting his step towards the common room.

After few moments more of thinking, that sadness had enveloped him entirely.

The fact of the matter was that no matter how close he himself got to the girl, she really knew nothing about him and never could, a thought that filled him with dread and a new pain, one that sat heavy in his chest, one that seemed to plead with him to not give up on what it was he knew he wanted more than anything else in this moment.

He allowed a sad smile to tug at his lips as he thought of the girl and how patient she had been with him. Naïve in much relating to females he was, but he had seen the look she would shoot him after he brushed off any attempt of her delving deeper into his past, the same look he had experienced from Hermione when the subject of the Dursley's ever came up in conversation, a look that held curiosity and a need to no more, a look Harry had become adept at avoiding.

With Bellatrix though it felt different. He felt guilty for avoiding that look and wanted to open up to her, but what could he say?

His whole life had always been one mess after the other but well documented and believable in his own time. How could he even begin to expose even the smallest amount of the circus that it had been and expect her to either understand or find the truth in his words?

He rubbed once more at his eyes while he considered his own questions.

The fact was, he simply couldn't and even if he could she just would not understand, she was a sixteen- year- old girl after all and more than that, he wanted to protect her from the craziness his life attracted, both past and present no matter how much he wanted to see her in his future.

He wanted nothing more than to kick himself for said naivety but as things were, he simply cursed as his own logic he continued on his way.

But Harry Potter was soon to learn that logic had no place when it came to matters of the heart, a lesson he would never forget. He would rue the day that he underestimated his own heart and that of the violet-eyed witch.

Soon enough he reached his dorm where the rest of the Marauders continued to sleep blissfully but his attention was not on them. No his attention had immediately been caught by the owl that began tapping on the window the moment he entered the room.

He frowned as he allowed the bird entrance and relieved it off its burden before offering it a treat. He unrolled the small missive and frowned further. The note was simple and succinct:

 _Harry,_

 _Our usual place 8pm_

 _B x_

It was odd for Bellatrix to write him a note like this. The pair had met regularly without the need of communications such as these. It had become somewhat an unspoken agreement the days and times they would spend together and 8pm this night was one of them.

He shook his head and sighed gently.

Clearly the girl wanted him to be there for a reason but that reason eluded the boy.

Whatever it was he was sure to find out soon enough.

(BREAK)

Millicent Bagnold sat behind her heavy oak desk in her office waiting for Simeon Jones to join herself and Alastor Moody, who as always, stood with his back against the furthest wall in which he could see the entirety of the room.

Things for the Minister had been rather peaceful since the near tragedy that had been the attack on Hogsmeade, a peace that was certainly welcome. It seemed that the latest Dark Lord was lying low for the time being, giving the woman a respite and the chance to focus on the other responsibilities that her job brought.

Today that responsibility was to finally discuss who would be representing Great Britain in the upcoming European Championships, something that had been a blight on her since the unfortunate death of Antonin Dolohov. But that source of stress would end today. The process to select a new champion had taken longer than she had anticipated, something that did not please her but she had every confidence in Simeon and his team. However, the selection of the champion would finally get the Dueling Committee off of her back. They had been insistent over the past days that she submitted the name of her representative, an insistence that had begun to irk her so.

She was pulled from her musing by a smart knock on the door.

"Come in," she called.

Simeon Jones entered carrying a stack of parchment. The man nodded in acknowledgement to Moody before taking a seat in front of his boss.

"Well Jones, do we have a candidate?" Bagnold inquired somewhat impatiently.

Simeon released a deep breath. "We do," he confirmed with a hint of hesitation.

Bagnold merely raised an eyebrow at the man, inviting him to continue.

"We had six possibilities," he began formally as he waved the parchment still clutched in his hand. "The fact is only one would get past the first round," he sighed.

"I sense a but," the Minister returned with a frown.

"Potter is a hell of a wizard there's no doubting it but he is not a duelist, he has clearly had no formal training in the sport."

The Ministers frown deepened.

"What is it you want to say Mr. Jones?"

The man sighed once more and shook his head.

"I spoke to both Amelia and the Greycloak to get their opinions and that ended with the pair of them arguing on who was going to recruit the boy," he explained shaking his head. "The Greycloak swore that if was certain that he'd never met the kid that he had trained him himself."

"So what is the problem?" Bagnold ground out.

"Potter is not a duelist, he is a fighter," Simeon offered.

Moody nodded his understanding but Bagnold huffed in annoyance.

"Minister, Potter has clearly been taught to battle without the constraint of rules, the rules could be his undoing because they would certainly put restrictions on what he could and couldn't do."

Bagnold finally nodded her understanding.

"So what would you recommend Mr. Jones?"

Simeon looked between the Minister and the veteran auror, not quite believing his own conclusions.

"The fact is Potter is the best we've got by far, hell the kid would probably give old Dumbledore a run for his galleons and the other five are useless in comparison," he finished.

"So Potter then?" Moody broke in.

Simeon nodded.

"He's unorthodox and will upset a lot of the traditionalists who expect formal customs for the event but if we want a chance of winning we need him," Jones responded firmly.

Bagnold grimaced slightly.

The formalities were an important part of the festivities and would be expected to be followed. Great Britain would be a mockery if such a thing were to pass.

"We still have time, can he not be taught?"

Simeon simply shrugged.

"We have to try."

"What if he doesn't want to do it?" Moody broke in once more.

Bagnold and Jones shared a worried look, which led to the Minister frowning once more.

"Why would he refuse? It's an honour."

"Aye but it wasn't long ago you were attempting to arrest him and his friends for murder," the auror reminded her.

Bagnold closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Do you think he could be difficult?" she asked.

It was Moody's turn to shrug. He knew as much about the boy as she did, but he certainly had handled himself well the last time he and the Minister had met.

"Just don't underestimate the lad at the worst I'm sure he would be willing to make a compromise, if he wasn't at all interested he wouldn't have come in the first place," he growled.

Bagnold sighed as the feeling that a hefty price for the service of Harry Potter was almost inevitable in some way.

"Send him an invitation for a meeting, we need to at least discuss some tuition so he can abide by the formalities," she finally conceded.

(BREAK)

After exiting the portrait of the Fat Lady Harry briefly checked the map before heading towards the third floor classroom that himself and Bellatrix had taken for their own. Since the night of the ball it seemed that the Slytherins had simply decided that anyone not within their circle no longer existed and had kept themselves very much to themselves for the time being, certainly a welcome peace for the castle at large. However, Harry was certainly no fool and knew that any peace would be only temporary so had been keeping a closer eye on them. In his experience, times like these were more of a calm before a storm and he refused to be caught off guard as he had so many times in the past.

He entered the room and greeted the girl in his now usual way by sweeping her into his arms and placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

The kiss he received in return was as warm and genuine as any other the pair had shared but the smile and squeeze of the hand that followed had an edge of uncertainty, a slight reluctance and even a hint of sadness.

Harry frowned in confusion before taking a seat and looking at Bellatrix a little more closely, noting the doubt still.

"What is it, has something happened?"

For the first time since he had known her she seemed to be lost for words yet her eyes were speaking many.

He rose from his seat and took her hands, a feeling of worry starting to overcome him.

"You know you can talk to me about anything right?"

Bellatrix nibbled her lower lip in response before gathering herself.

"Can I though?" she asked in just above a whisper.

Harry frowned slightly but nodded and Bellatrix pulled her hands away before turning her back on him.

"I'm just confused and… I don't even know," she finally offered.

"Confused about what?" Harry questioned, he himself feeling more confused by the minute.

Bellatrix turned to face him once more and offered him another sad smile.

"I want to know you Harry."

His frown deepened, the confusion becoming more so.

"You do know me."

Bellatrix shook her head gently.

"All I know is the boy that came from nowhere last year and changed my life, the powerful wizard who does things that most would call unbelievable and the sweetest most gentle person I have ever met," she began. "I know the protective, selfless and even terrifying person you can be when you have to be, but I don't know you Harry."

The boy in question felt his stomach drop and a sense of unease begin to settle in but before he could even gather a response, Bellatrix continued.

"Everything about you is perfect but people aren't born that way."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"What is it you want to know?"

"Everything Harry, I want to know what has made you the way you are and I just want to know what makes you tick, I just want to know you the way you know me," she finished almost desperately.

Harry took her hands again.

"You do know me," he assured her.

Bellatrix shook her head.

"I know you but nothing about you," she returned. "I understand that you're a private person but haven't I proven that you can trust me?"

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"It's only been a couple of weeks," he tried.

"No," Bellatrix denied. "This has been going on since the day we were paired together in Defense, I know it hasn't always been like this but it's been there, you know it just as well as I do."

And this was something that Harry could not deny. Despite the fact that things had been up and down between the two, there had always been something there and each had proven it in their own ways. Harry had fought for her and her family without any true obligation to and Bellatrix had been forgiving with him and more than receptive to him.

"I've told you everything there is to know about me, can you not do the same?"

Harry met her eyes and could see the pleading in them and yet, as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't speak. It wasn't that he didn't trust her it was because, for the first time in his life, he was scared about pushing someone away. The fact was that he could not see her understanding him or what journey he had taken to get to where he was and even believing him for that matter. His story was farfetched at best and he didn't even know where to begin.

"I just don't want there to be any secrets between us, I've seen that and no matter how much you care for someone it ruins things just look at my parents," She tried.

The weighty, nervous feeling in Harrys' stomach doubled and he shook his head. He just didn't know what to do but he couldn't share things, not yet.

"I can't," he whispered, the pleading look he had seen in her eyes now marring his own.

Bellatrix swallowed and nodded before approaching him and kissing him gently on the cheek.

"I'm sorry Harry, I know it seems selfish but I need more than that, I really thought you could trust me."

With that she turned and exited the room leaving behind a Harry Potter trying to pull together his once more broken heart.

It felt similar to the night he had lost Sirius back in his own time and his reaction matched it. He was hurt and angry and needed to vent. Without a second thought he raced through the corridors to the seventh floor and in to the room of requirement to blow off a lot of steam.

Once the anger had subsided he simply swallowed his emotions the same way he did that night leaving him feeling hollow, just as empty and focused on one thing: the ending of Tom Marvolo Riddle, by any means necessary.

It was after a sleepless night that the opportunity to make some progress would come as a letter from the Ministry arrived acknowledging him as the representative of Great Britain for the upcoming championships, if he could meet certain requirements.

This part of the letter had made him frown, yet a feral grin spread across his lips as he realized that he would be able to negotiate with the Minister herself and he had no doubt that he would be leaving her office with exactly what he wanted. If they required anything extra from him then he himself had some demands they would need to meet.

(BREAK)

It was two days later that found Harry sat in the Ministers office with the lady herself, Simeon Jones and oddly Alastor Moody, though the latter was not an unwelcome addition.

The past couple of days could be described as difficult at best for the teen. Although he had managed to swallow his hurt rather well and vent it when needed, it was still there and he new that people around him were noticing the shift in his demeanor. Smiling through it was near impossible for him and the fact he did not laugh certainly had alarm bells ringing particularly with James. Harry was just pleased that the other boy had not attempted to pry information from him or press the matter but he had caught him offering a knowing and worried smile.

In truth Harry felt miserable, angry and just a little bit broken and he only had himself to blame this time around, a very bitter potion to swallow indeed. Throughout his life he had been able to point the pain he had felt towards others, but not this time. This time Harry James Potter only had to look in the mirror to see the source of his misery. Above his own pain that of the witch who constantly plagued his thoughts was an entirely different wound he did not know how to handle. The only encounter the pair had shared since 'that night' had been a brief glance at the emotionless mask the other wore, which spoke more volumes than the agony they were both feeling could express. Bellatrix was just as broken as himself and he knew it, this thought only making him feel worse than ever. He had spent the past couple of days cursing his life and very existence whilst simultaneously wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms, apologise for his stupidity and fix them both, something he saw as impossible.

Instead of wallowing however, Harry used that emotion he was feeling to motivate him in wreaking havoc on Tom Riddle and those that would follow him. His training sessions were now a blur of fury as what he had had to deny himself was at the forefront of his mind as he cast spell after spell, destroying dummy after dummy with magic that shook the room of requirement to it's very core.

As it was, Harry had thoroughly trained this morning so that he could be as composed as he possibly could for this meeting; he knew that he needed to come across as mature to get what he wanted. He cleared his throat before he addressed the woman in front of him who was undoubtedly trying her best to read him but obviously drawing a blank as she looked upon the stoic face of the young man.

"According to the letter you sent I must meet certain requirements to be offered the chance to compete, would you care to explain these?" he asked, leaning back in his chair casually.

Bagnold shared a look with Jones and offered the man a nod to proceed.

"Mr. Potter, how much formal training have you had in the art of dueling?"

"None."

Jones nodded his understanding.

"Well what training have you had lad?" Moody broke in.

"I'm not at liberty to say exactly," Harry began and held up a placating hand to quell any interruption. "But I demonstrated to Mr. Jones what I am capable of and I assure you there is much more where that came from."

Jones raised his eyebrows almost comically.

"You have more than impressed me with your skill Mr. Potter our only reservation is that there are certain protocols we must abide by in the formal arena."

He then removed a fairly thick book and handed it to the teen who frowned as he read the title.

 _The Art and Etiquette of Dueling_

 _By Tarquin Mellor_

"As you can see, there is much to be done, it is not as simple as defeating opponents,' Jones needlessly pointed out.

Harry became more and more mortified as he flicked through the work and absorbed some of what would be expected by him, finally a look of disgust overcoming him.

"Yeah, this doesn't appeal to me at all," he decided as he rose from the seat and placed the book on the desk before turning to exit the room.

He had just reached out to grab the handle of the door when the Minister finally spoke up, her voice carrying more than a hint of desperation and with that, Harry smirked. He knew he had her.

"Wait Mr. Potter, we can help you with this stuff."

He schooled his features before turning back to face the trio, two of which looked worried whereas Moody was watching him with a contemplative stare.

Harry shook his head.

"It's a lot of work even with help and will take up time I'm not really willing to give."

"What do you want boy" Moody questioned, clearly getting the hint.

Alastor had no time for irritating political games. He himself preferred straight to the point talking and his experience of the Potter lad had shown him that he appreciated the same.

Harry smirked once more towards the auror before responding.

"After I defended my fellow students in Hogsmeade you all attempted to vilify me, I want assurance that won't happen again should I ever find myself in a similar situation."

Moody frowned in confusion, he knew there was much more to it than that.

"And?"

Harry narrowed his eyes bur could respect the perception that Moody offered. He hadn't climbed the auror ranks by being a fool that was for sure.

"The truth is Auror Moody the only reason I came back in the first place is to protect my family from what is going on out there."

"Protect them from what Mr. Potter?" Bagnold interjected.

"You know exactly from what, Voldemort and his movement."

The Minister and Jones both winced at the harshness of his tone and the casual manner in which he used the mans name.

"That man is nothing more than a nuisance, something we are dealing with," the Minister assured.

Harry shook his head irritably.

"A nuisance that has already murdered innocent men, women and children in Hogsmeade and set a horde of Dementors on Diagon Alley," Harry returned. "He is more than a nuisance and you know, it he's a terrorist trying to seize power by any means necessary."

"You seem to have rather intimate knowledge of his ideas," Moody growled, the accusation clear in his voice.

"It doesn't really take a genius to work it out when you have the darker family children in school who can't keep their mouth shut about the coming revolution," Harry replied.

Moody nodded.

"He is using the old and pureblood families to push his agenda, that is obvious and it's not for the benefit of anyone but himself," he continued.

Minister Bagnold sighed, clearly frustrated.

"As much as I agree with you Mr. Potter, our hands our tied in this because we can't actually prove that he has had anything to do with the attacks and the only thing that his supporters have been seen doing is having laws changed or amended through the Wizengamot."

"I don't involve myself in politics but things there will be changing soon, that I can guarantee," Harry promised, offering those gathered more than a hint.

Bagnold's eyebrows rose significantly and she even looked relieved that the darker families would finally meet some resistance. If she was taking the hint correctly then it seemed as though certain people would be taking a more active political role, a thought that made her just as nervous as excited.

"All of this is well and good Mr. Potter, but what exactly is it you want?"

Harry sighed, starting to feel the frustration settle in. More than anything he wanted to state his desire to get the first crack at Riddle when he did surface from the shadows, but as things were, that would just raise more questions than he was able to or willing to answer. He knew he had to play his hand very carefully and begin a relationship of trust with the Minister.

"I don't like the idea of what is happening and what will come," he began diplomatically. "I just want assurance that we will not have a repeat of Hogsmeade with yourself and your aurors attempting to send me to Azkaban if I defend myself and those I care about by any means necessary, which I assure you I will."

"We can't just have you killing people Mr. Potter."

"I have no desire to, but I will if myself or my family are threatened by anyone."

Moody looked at him appraisingly and couldn't help but respect the young man. He was playing a very dangerous game indeed, one that was exceedingly risky.

"Excuse us for a moment lad, I think we need to have a private conversation."

With that said the auror then set up a privacy dome around himself and two companions.

"It seems as though the lad has us over a barrel," Moody growled, though there was clearly a hint of amusement in his voice.

"He knows that we need him for the championships," Jones contributed.

Bagnold shook her head.

"We can't give in to him, what the hell will people?"

Moody shrugged.

"The lad will do whatever it is he plans to either way but Albus may have had a good idea when I spoke to him about Potter."

Bagnold frowned but gestured for him to continue.

"He said that it would be in our best interest to use him and I agree, he's only young but we don't need him causing us problems, you saw what he is capable of in Hogsmeade and it's better that we can control that and have him on side."

"I agree," Jones chimed in. "I've seen what he's capable of first hand and we really do need him, the others couldn't ever hope to be half the wizard he already is."

Bagnold sighed once more but conceded the point with a reluctant nod.

"I don't like it at all," she reiterated.

"Me either but both Bones and the Grey cloak seem to think he's already worth recruiting," Moody pointed out.

"You cannot be serious," Bagnold huffed.

"The lad still has another year at school to complete so we can't recruit him, but we can prime him and getting him in unofficially in some way is the best way to keep an eye on him," Moody explained.

Bagnold nodded her understanding and Moody dropped the dome surrounding them.

"Alright lad we've come up with an idea that will help all of us," Moody explained. "If you compete and learn the things you need we are willing to offer you a somewhat hands on internship with the DMLE."

Harry frowned but waited for him to continue.

"You still have a year at school to complete but I'm sure we can work it with Albus so that you can help out if needed," he elaborated, offering the teen a knowing smirk. "But that cannot begin until you come of age."

Harry nodded his understanding.

He knew that for the moment they were simply attempting to appease him and didn't expect much at all from their so-called internship but it was a way in and a way to start cultivating some form of relationships with those he could not afford to be on the wrong side of. He wanted more from the deal but for now he could settle for this until things really picked up and it was an opportunity for him to show his worth and capabilities.

"So when do we begin?" he asked, shooting the book on the desk a distasteful glance.

(BREAK)

James Potter watched Harry climb through the portrait hole for what must have been a dozen times in the last two weeks, a look of misery and exhaustion etched across every feature. As usual, the tired look lastly only a fleeting second before it was schooled into an expressionless mask as the boy made his way across the common room, offered his friends a brief nod and headed up the stairs towards the dormitory.

James shook his head and took a deep breath. Something was clearly bothering the other teen and he had a good idea what that was but Harry just being Harry had spoken to no one about what had him feeling so low. Even the news that he had been made the Great British champion had barely brought a flicker of a smile to him and the more the time was passing the concern in the older Potter grew.

With his mind made up he rose from his seat and prepared himself to confront the boy. He needed to know that he wasn't alone any longer and had people he could turn to when he needed.

"Where are you going Prongs?" Sirius asked as he looked up from his quidditch magazine.

"To speak to Harry."

"Want us to come with you?"

James shook his head.

"No, I don't even think he'll speak to me, you know how he is."

Sirius nodded his understanding.

"I thought he was stressed about exams but they finished last week," Peter chimed in.

"Well whatever it is I'm about to find out."

He made his way across the common room, following Harrys footsteps until he reached to door to their room and pushed it open. Hearing the shower running, he took a seat on his bed and waited.

It was about ten minutes later that the boy in question emerged from the bathroom and made his way to his own bed, not even noticing the other boy.

"So what's bothering you Harry?" James asked causing the unaware teen to almost jump out of his skin.

Upon hearing the voice of James Harry instinctively flicked his wand into his hand and leveled it towards him but quickly holstered it once more when it was clear who had addressed him.

"Nothing, I'm fine," he lied, not at all convincingly.

James swept across the room and took a seat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're a private person Harry but something is clearly bothering you, I'm just worried that's all, we all are."

Harry offered him a weak smile but said nothing.

"You have people who care about you now and that's what family are for, we're here to help pick the pieces up when everything goes to shit," he tried.

A glimmer of warmth and appreciation met his gaze and Harry stood from the bed and began pacing as he dragged his hand through his hair.

"Bellatrix broke up with me," he admitted in little more than a whisper.

James frowned in confusion.

"Then you must have done something very stupid or upset her really badly," he deduced.

Harry himself frowned, a look of hurt and irritation marring his features.

"She wouldn't have done it for no reason, everyone could see how much you care about each other at the ball," James pointed out.

Harry sighed resignedly and nodded.

"She wants to know me, everything and I can't lie to her," he replied.

James frowned again.

"And what is the problem with that?"

"Well I can't exactly tell her can I? I can't just say 'Hey Bella I'm Harry Potter and won't be born for another few years'."

James chuckled.

"Not if you put it like that."

"So you see the problem."

James shook his head once more.

"Not really," he shrugged.

Harry frowned and was about to speak but James cut him off.

"You have been here almost a year now and we both know you can't go back," he pointed out.

"I know."

James stood and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you trust her?"

Harry nodded.

"Then you should tell her, it won't be fun but merlin you are miserable Harry and she clearly makes you happy, happier than I've ever seen you."

"It's not that simple."

"Yes it is, we've already talked about telling Sirius you can't live the rest of your life keeping all of this to yourself, hell even I struggle with it," James returned hotly.

"What if she doesn't understand?"

"I think she will and if she cares about you half as much as you do her it won't matter at all."

Harry shook his head.

"I'm scared," he admitted. "What if she hates me or thinks I've lied to her?"

"Have you?"

"No," Harry denied immediately.

"Then you have nothing to worry about and at worst you'd just have to obliviate her," he offered with a chuckle.

"I will not obliviate her."

"Then you make her understand."

Harry just stood staring at the other boy, a million doubts running through his mind.

"If you don't do it you'll regret it more than anything but even if it goes bad you have at least tried," he pointed out.

Harry closed his eyes and pondered the situation. He missed the girl more than he ever imagined he could miss anyone and wanted nothing more than for thongs to go back to how the were, or even better without all the secrecy hanging over them.

"Do you lover her?" James cut in bluntly.

"I don't know what that is."

James felt his heart break a little at that declaration.

"How would you feel if she now disappeared from your life, you'd never get to see her again and you didn't try to make it work?"

That thought had his stomaching tied in knots, a heavy weight settling in yet it left him feeling strangely empty and more than a little broken.

Harry opened his eyes and James could see the pain etched in them at the thoughts he was having.

"I have to tell her," he whispered.

James smiled.

"Then what the hell are you doing standing here talking to me? GO!"

Harry reacted immediately and charged from the room, a look of determination settling in.

"That's my boy," James whispered as a bright and proud smile graced his lips.

(BREAK)

Upon exiting the dormitory he cleared the common room in record time before bursting through the portrait hole and realising he had no idea where Bellatrix even was, let alone what he was going to say to her. If Harry was honest with himself, he couldn't even be sure if she would want to speak to him after the way he had acted. He took a moment to steady himself, to clear his mind as best he could and to figure out his next step. Although he managed to calm himself somewhat, the sense of urgency and desperation to talk to her remained unwavering.

Taking a very deep breath and attempting to quell the trembling in his hand, he removed the map from his pocket and activated it. A small smile graced his lips as he found her in their classroom and he moved towards it at a more sedate pace, doubt and nervousness settling in amongst the need to see her and to explain.

After what seemed only a few seconds passing, barely time to contemplate his current range of emotions, he found himself outside the closed door and placed a still shaking hand on the nob before turning it and pushing gently as not to startle the girl within. What he saw had him feeling proud, guilty and completely awestruck. Bellatrix stood with her back towards him but it was what was the patronus in front that had his attention, a creature he was very familiar with.

"A Thestral," he whispered.

His voice caused the girl to lose focus and the creature dissipated as she turned her wand to face him, a look of fury marring her features, a look that had his heart sinking. When she realized that it was he who was standing there the wand dropped to her side and the look changed to one of sadness briefly before she schooled it into one of complete impassiveness.

"What do you want Harry?" she questioned, not completely able to disguise the quiver of emotion in her voice.

HE sighed and dragged his hand through his hair, the nervousness creeping in once more.

"Do you remember what I told you about patronuses and the form they take?"

Bellatrix frowned.

"They take the form of someone you care about deeply or see as protection," she recited.

Harry nodded and stepped forward as he flicked his wand into his hand and held it out to her.

"My wand has Thestral hair in it," he explained.

Bellatrix took the offered wand and studied it up close for the first time. It was a work of art, she could not doubt that but she was confused.

"That could just be a coincidence," she replied as she handed it back.

"Maybe," Harry agreed. "But there's more."

He then proceeded to remove his jumper, exposing his torso to the girl, something, despite how close they had become they hadn't been reached between them.

Bellatrix blushed and forced herself to look in his eyes, not at all prepared for what he had just done.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked uncharacteristically.

Harry smirked slightly and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that I just wanted to show you something else."

He looked down and began marveling in the images that had been created by the Potter family magic and smiled at each one he could see fondly.

After a moment of hesitation, Bellatrix allowed her gaze to drop and follow his, gasping as she took in the form in front of her and gasping even further as she took note of what had his attention.

"When did you get tattoos?" she whispered.

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"They're not really tattoos, it's a part of the way in which the Potter family magic manifests itself," he explained.

Bellatrix nodded. She understood that all family magic was different and some did have side effects but this was something she had never seen nor heard of, not that she was opposed to it. In fact, she found them more than a little striking. That thought left her blushing once more.

"What do they mean?" she asked.

Harry breathed deeply.

"Each one of the creatures you see, and don't for now, are creatures I have an affiliation with or a bond in some way," he began. "Most I have encountered, the others are a part of my wand."

Bellatrix looked at each of the exposed creatures but still did not understand why he was showing her. The two dragons she could see were undoubtedly beautiful and more than a little intimidating but still didn't explain just why he was doing this. Despite her confusion she could see that Harry truly was making a visible effort by sharing something personal, so she decided to help him along.

"You've encountered dragons?" she asked, a little bit of disbelief lacing her words.

Harry nodded seriously causing the girls eyes to widen.

"The Ironbelly is part of my wand," he explained as he indicated the large reptile on his right side. "The horntail I'm more familiar with," he added as he pointed to the scar on his left arm where it had struck him with its tail.

"Why in Merlin's name did you get that close to it?"

Harry shrugged.

"We will get to that, but it wasn't by choice."

Bellatrix nodded.

"What other ones are there?"

Harry rolled up the right leg of his jeans, revealing the phoenix on the back of his calf.

"It saved my life," he explained cryptically.

Again Bellatrix found her eyes widening. Having not taken care of magical creatures, it wasn't exactly her expertise but she knew enough about phoenixes to know that they didn't just offer their tears to anyone and the person in question would have to be very close to death indeed for them to even consider it.

"After I got bitten by this," Harry continued, this time removing his shoe and sock before rolling up the hem of his bottoms.

"Is that a basilisk?" Bellatrix asked as she took an unconscious step backwards.

Harry smiled fondly at the creature before nodding.

"Sura," he answered simply. "She died, but still got me before I got her," he added as he pointed out the puncture wound on his right arm.

Bellatrix shook her head.

"You killed a fully grown basilisk?"

Her tone was filled with incredulity and not disbelief, which surprised Harry. He fully expected her to protest or claim him to be fabricating stories, just like almost every body else had or would.

"You believe me?"

Her usually pale skin had somehow paled further during the last couple of minutes but she nodded resolutely.

"You're not a liar Harry, you've only ever been honest with me."

The boy felt a stab of guilt at the faith she was showing him and he shook his head but couldn't find how to even begin putting anything he wanted to say into words.

Bellatrix again noted the internal struggle he was having and sighed slightly.

"So what about the Thestral?"

Harry once more found her eyes with his own and smiled softly before turning his back to face her. Upon doing so he heard her breath hitch in her chest and only a few seconds later felt her warm finger tips caressing his back as she took in the beauty of the creature.

"Amazing," she whispered.

Bellatrix seemed to catch herself and quickly pulled her hand away as she realized what she was doing. She blushed before stepping away and found herself once more staring into Harrys' emerald eyes. For a moment she felt more exposed and vulnerable than she ever had because if what he had said was true about her Patronus then it meant that she saw him as her protector, the one person she cared about more than anyone else, a thought that in the circumstances did not leave her feeling the comfort she once had with him.

She shook her head and began pacing.

"It could be a coincidence," she tried, though even to herself she knew it was a lie. She did see Harry that way, she couldn't deny it to herself but she wasn't ready for him to know it, not how things were between them.

"It could be," he conceded. "But I don't think so."

"It's just a wand core and a tattoo," she bit back.

"Cast it again."

Bellatrix frowned but drew her wand and closed her eyes, focusing on the happy memory that had finally brought forth the corporeal form of her patronus. Ironically it was the memory of their first kiss after the ball. She took a deep breath as she let that emotion wash over, even though now it had become rather bittersweet in the last two weeks.

" _Expecto Patronum,"_ She whispered.

Her Thestral sprung from her wand and she opened her eyes to see Harry staring at the creature, his own sparkling in the ethereal light it was giving off.

After a moment of staring he schooled his features and smiled almost apologetically at the girl before he transformed into the very creature he had just been looking at.

Bellatrix again took an unconscious step back as she looked between to the Thestrals, one very real and the one she herself had conjured. Try as she might she could not deny that the resemblance was noting short of uncanny. Her realization had her wand clattering to the ground and the patronus disappearing only a second later leaving her staring at the creature left behind.

Without her being aware of such a thing her eyes had filled with tears and she turned away from the boy not wanting to feel any more weak than she did. She was a Black after all. Her sadness quickly began to give way to the famous Black temper as a million thoughts at once began assaulting her senses. This boy had made her feel vulnerable, yet hopeful and had taken it all away from her without reason.

She turned to face him only to see a look of shock on his face as her fury became evident to him.

"How dare you?" she asked in a dangerous whisper.

Harry flinched at the expression she now wore, more than a little hint of the furious Bellatrix he had encountered in his own time showing through.

"Huh?" he returned dumbly.

Clearly that had been the wrong thing to say as the girl stalked towards him with narrowed eyes before slapping him hard across the face.

Harry didn't even have time to flinch but before he could even consider his next words he saw that the violet eyes that had been so full of fury were now full of guilt and a fresh wave of tears as Bellatrix began sobbing uncontrollably.

He couldn't find it in his heart to even be slightly angry with the girl, not knowing how much he must have put her through over that past couple of weeks without him even seemingly fighting for her. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her and yet she still fought and resisted against his embrace and shook her head vigorously as she pushed him away.

"You hurt me Harry, really hurt me," she whispered. "More than I thought anyone ever could."

Harry closed his eyes and nodded.

"All I wanted was to know you is that such a bad thing?"

This time he shook his head but still couldn't find his voice.

"Why can't you just let me in? Please, I just need to understand."

He opened his eyes and couldn't miss the pleading look. A fresh wave of guilt ploughed against him as the pain she was feeling bored into him leaving his heart a heavy burden once more.

"It's complicated," he managed to mumble.

The begging look did not falter as she stepped forward and cupped the cheek she had recently struck, seeing for the first time vulnerability in him that she never would have believed existed had she not been seeing it for herself. In this moment he looked like a lost and even scared sixteen-year-old boy that he had never exposed before.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself.

"You know that I would never lie to you?"

She nodded firmly.

He closed his eyes once more before he spoke once more.

"I'm not from here Bella," he whispered.

Bellatrix looked at him feeling completely confused.

"What does that even mean?"

He opened his eyes; the most severe and serious expression finding her own confused one.

"Well, I am from here but not here exactly."

Bellatrix shook her.

"I don't understand."

Harry sighed slightly, frustrated with himself that he couldn't put into words what he wanted to say.

"My name is Harry Potter, I have never lied to you about that or anything else only where I'm from."

"Where are you from?"

"Here I guess but just not now."

If anything the girl looked even more confused.

"Now I really don't understand."

Harry smiled weakly.

"I was born in 1980."

Bellatrix frowned before her eyes widened and she audibly choked as what he said sunk in. If not for the expression he wore she would have assumed that this was some kind of sick joke.

"But it's only 1977."

Harry nodded.

"You're a time traveller," she stated incredulously.

"Now do you see what I mean by complicated?"

Bellatrix nodded and took a seat, clearly thinking a hundred different thoughts at once.

"How?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

"That's where it gets really complicated," he sighed. "But I was sent here, let's just say things got really bad to the point it couldn't be fixed."

Bellatrix frowned.

"I don't even know what to ask," she admitted, still clearly processing the fact that Harry was a time-traveller.

"I don't even know where to start."

Bellatrix nodded.

"How about from the beginning?"

"I'll tell you as much as I can and you can ask anything you like, but if I don't answer it means I really can't or I really shouldn't for your own good."

Bellatrix wanted to argue that it should be her decision on what she was allowed to know but quickly pushed that thought aside as she noted the firm resolve etched into his features, a resolve that meant he would not compromise the stipulation put forward.

She finally nodded slowly and Harry visibly deflated as his body sagged in relief.

"I was sent here to stop things getting as bad as they did," he began as he paced back and forth. "What happened at Hogsmeade is only the beginning and if I don't stop him then the damage he does will be irreparable to the point that we will no longer exist in less than ten generations."

Bellatrix's eyes widened at the revelation before she frowned, clearly now deep in thought.

"You mean that Gaunt guy?"

Harry nodded, his expression steely and unwavering.

"Too many people will die."

Bellatrix again pondered the situation before shaking her head.

"But why you? You're still only sixteen, right?"

Harry chuckled darkly.

"I am," he promised. He sighed as he dragged his hand through his hair. "There was a prophecy."

Her neatly manicured eyebrows rose this time, partly from shock, partly from skepticism.

"A prophecy?" she choked in disbelief. "You buy into that?"

Harry again chuckled and shook his head.

"Not usually but this is different."

Bellatrix frowned but waited for him to continue. Harry went on to reveal the contents of what Trelawney had brought forth that and the two remained silent for several minutes after.

"But that doesn't clearly say it has to be you," she whispered as she played the words over in her mind.

"I wish it was true," he whispered in reply. "But it does."

He held up a hand to stop her from interrupting as a morose look took form, followed by one of resignation and finally settling on determination.

"My birthday is July 31st," he began again causing the girl to raise a single eyebrow questioningly. "My parents defied him three times and more than that, he came for me."

"He came for you?" Bellatrix asked worriedly.

Harry nodded.

"October 31st 1981," he replied bitterly. "He heard part of the prophecy and came for me, he killed my parents but couldn't kill me, but he did mark me as his equal," he explained as he lifted his fringe to show what remained of his lightning bolt scar.

Bellatrix's eyes welled with tears as she traced the tarnished skin.

"You survived," she stated.

"The killing curse," he confirmed in little more than a whisper.

The two remained silent and lost in their own thoughts for some time before Bellatrix spoke next.

"So your parents?" she asked quietly.

Harry smiled weakly.

"James and Lily Potter," he returned with pride evident in his voice.

"Evans?"

He nodded and Bellatrix groaned slightly. She had spent weeks wondering if there was something between Harry and the Evans girl, now she felt foolish for even considering it.

"Do they know?"

"James does as do the other Potters, Dumbledore and Arcturus to an extent."

"My Grandfather?"

Harry only nodded and for a moment Bellatrix looked furious before shaking her head.

"I just don't know what to say."

"There's nothing you need to say, but you deserve an explanation of why I am the way I am."

Bellatrix offered him a sad smile and squeezed his hand.

"So you were raised by Charlus and Dorea?"

Harry snorted.

"They both died before my parents did."

That certainly surprised the girl if her now gaping mouth was anything to go by.

"So what happened to you? Who raised you to be like how you are?"

Harry dragged a hand through his hair and sighed deeply.

"I was raised by my Mums sister and husband."

"Muggles? But what about your parents' friends? Surely you had Godparents."

"I did but my Godfather was sent to Azkaban for betraying my parents even though he wasn't their secret keeper and I didn't have a Godmother from what I know," he explained a little bitterly.

Bellatrix worried her lip as she was clearly absorbing what he said.

"That's why you know so much about the Muggle world isn't it?"

"I spent my first memorable years there until I got my Hogwarts letter, before that I didn't know anything about our world."

"So you've only known that you are a wizard for six years?" She questioned disbelievingly.

"As hard as that is to believe, yes."

Bellatrix remained silent for some time but watched him closely as though she was finally seeing him for the first time.

"Did we ever meet before when I was older?"

She noted that his expression became rather pained and a flash of anger became prominent before he schooled his features once more.

"Once," he admitted. "It was not a pleasant experience but something that won't happen again."

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

Harry sighed not wanting to discuss this particular subject.

"Let's just say that if you did marry Lestrange then your life would've been very different."

Bellatrix frowned and thought on when that possible route was changed.

"Christmas," She whispered. "Is that why you intervened?" she questioned angrily.

Harry held up his hands to placate her.

"Partly, but mostly I wanted yourself and Cissy to be able to choose your own path and not be forced into marrying people you didn't care about."

Noticing her glare he continued.

"We met only once and you were completely insane, you'd spent fifteen years in Azkaban and from what we know now you hadn't acted under your own will and Cissy was just nothing even close to what she is now. She became nothing more than a cold trophy paraded around by Lucius Malfoy."

Bellatrix deflated a little.

"I told you that if you choose to follow Tom then that should be your choice, I won't even stop that now but after spending time with you before and seeing how upset the idea of marrying Lestrange made you, I had to do something and so I did."

"So you only did it to give me a choice?" she questioned skeptically.

Harry nodded.

"You can still make any choice you like," he shrugged.

Bellatrix again returned to her silence but her anger subsided.

"What did I do to end up in Azkaban?"

"I don't know the ins and outs and it doesn't matter now because it won't happen again," he assured her.

Bellatrix looked as though she wanted to protest but any argument she wanted to make died on her lips as she accepted that it was probably best she didn't know. It was things she herself had not done and dwelling on it would only torment her. However, she found herself looking at him once more, searching for any kind of sign that he was not being honest with her and still she found no deception. She pondered the boy in front of her more and more and her heart sunk at the million more questions that formed in her mind. Despite how overwhelming the evening had been so far and despite everything she wanted to know and ask, only one thing truly mattered to her in this moment and she knew that her very own happiness hinged on the answer. For now everything else could wait and she could only hope that Harry Potter would stay to answer. She scolded her self for her selfishness but only for a second as the alternative burned into her very mind and she couldn't care less except for herself and the boy in front of her. She took a deep breath and grasped his hand with a gentle squeeze before giving him a determined yet pleading look.

"What does this mean for us?" she almost whispered. "What happens when you've done what you need to, won't you be going back?"

Harry was slightly taken aback by the vulnerability this time. Yes, he had seen a gentler side to Bellatrix but nothing even close to this. He returned the squeeze of her hand reassuringly and gave her a weak smile.

"There is no going back for me, this is my life now," he answered, his eyes never leaving hers.

A look of relief flooded the girl and she choked back a sob as she threw herself into his arms to be met by his welcoming embrace. She smiled against his chest just as she could feel the happiness radiating from him.

After what only seemed a few seconds, she reluctantly pulled away and took in the boy who had given up and lost so much to be where he was today and she shook her head.

"What about your friends, won't they miss you?"

Harry nodded and snorted slightly.

"Yeah and I miss them too but I have the chance to be born into a world without war, they may not know what I did but I will and that's enough for me," he explained with sincerity.

Bellatrix nodded her understanding as she gazed into his eyes with only one other question on her mind she needed answering.

"What does this mean for us?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Bellatrix sighed gently before kissing him gently, surprising him slightly.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered.

"You don't have to."

"I understand why you've been the way you have I'm not mad but I am a little hurt that you let it go on this long," she admitted.

"I know and I am sorry, I was scared and just didn't know what to do," he offered. "But there won't be anymore secrets, you can ask me anything and I'll tell you," he promised.

"That's a very long conversation isn't it?" she asked with a little humour in her voice.

"You have no idea."

"Well then, why don't you tell me all about Harry Potter and what makes him who he is?"

"Now?"

"No time like the present," Bellatrix shrugged.

His green eyes met her violet ones and he saw nothing but need within them causing him to drag his hand through his hair as he chuckled once more.

"It's only fair," he conceded. "I guess I should start from Halloween 1981," he sighed as he flicked his wand into his hand and conjured a comfortable sofa. "This will take some time," he warned as he offered her his hand.

She took the offered appendage and allowed herself to be led to the chair where the two would remain for many hours as Harry tried to put into words what had been his rollercoaster of a life until he arrived here.

The night they spent in that room was both long and emotional on many levels. She held him close to her as he first explained what had happened the fateful night that Tom had marked him as his equal and she seethed at hearing what had been done to him in the following years at the hands of his so-called family. More than once he had to restrain her from finding the Dursleys and ending them as the once familiar temper of the older Bellatrix surfaced, though not terrifying to him, it was a sight to behold. She chided and even scolded him for his foolishness during his years at school but pulled him ever tighter as she felt her heartbreak over and over for him as he explained all of those experiences and what they had done to him. She wept along with him as he explained what happened to Sirius and even though she knew he was not revealing everything, what she saw was enough.

She was astounded and in awe of the young man beside. Astounded that one could suffer so much yet remain a beautiful soul deep down and in awe that he had the fortitude and desire to go on and become what he now was. From what she learnt about said young man in the hours they spent this night only made her respect him more, yet now she saw him as a human, one with feelings and one with flaws just like all people and it only made her want him more.

Bleary-eyed and exhausted after the night he had spent Harry allowed his gaze to meet hers for the first time not at all knowing what to expect to see from the girl. The smile he saw was weak and uncertain in many ways but not false and her eyes held a new warmth that he did not know could exist within her and even more than that, there was a need and desire that melted him as she fell into his arms and sighed contentedly, pulling him ever closer for a passionate kiss.

"Is there anything else you would like to know?" he asked tiredly but not without a smile and felt her head shake in response.

"Nothing that won't wait," she whispered.

"Well in that case maybe we should head to breakfast."

"Breakfast?" She asked confusedly.

Harry nodded and flicked his wand to cast a tempus charm to prove his point causing Bellatrix to sigh, less contentedly this time.

"Ok, just give me a minute."

She removed her wand and cast a few spells on herself to tidy her hair and hide the prominent swelling under her eyes.

"Ready?" Harry asked amusedly with a cocked eyebrow.

Bellatrix responded with a gentle glare but nodded.

Harry took her by the hand and with a wave of his wand he undid the wards and locking charms he had placed on the room before leading her towards the Great Hall, pausing just out of sight of the door.

"I'm sorry," he whispered genuinely. "For letting things get how they did."

Bellatrix huffed gently and frowned before leaning in to him for a final kiss.

"I understand, just don't shut me out," she almost pleaded. "And remember you're not alone anymore, you have people who care for you, me especially."

Harry smiled softly at the sincerity of her words, the weight he had been carrying all these months having been lifted considerably.

"That doesn't mean you're off the hook yet though Potter, you still have lots of making up to do," she warned with a mischievous smirk as she led him through the doors, kissing him one last time and making her way to the Slytherin table leaving a dumbfounded Harry Potter in her wake.

After shaking himself from his thoughts he made his own way to his house table only to be met with an expectant look from James who was sat with the rest of the Marauders, Lily, Marlene and Alice.

"Well?"

Harry simply nodded and sunk into the vacant seat next to him receiving a pat on the back as he did so.

"No curses?"

Harry frowned and shook his head this time.

"It was a close thing though," he admitted.

James smirked triumphantly and held out his hand in the direction of Sirius who dejectedly handed over 5 Galleons.

"I thought he'd at least be hexed," he grumbled.

"You were betting on my relationship?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"Yep," James replied, pocketing the coins before being slapped on the back of the head by an angry Lily.

"Prats," she hissed at the four other boys who at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

Harry chuckled and began buttering some toast knowing he shouldn't have expected anything less from the others but offered Lily a grateful smile for her support.

Sirius sulkily speared a sausage on the end of his fork and took a more than aggressive bite from the met while glaring at James.

"Oh cheer up Padfoot, fair and square."

"How the bloody hell did you not get cursed?" he whined pointing his half sausage at Harry.

"Because I'm not a filthy mongrel like you and choose my words carefully," he retorted with a shrug.

Sirius scowled and went back to eating his food, still mumbling to himself.

"Or maybe he's just jealous that he wanted Bellatrix for himself, Merlin knows he's gone through near enough every available witch in this school and it's not like the Blacks aren't known for stirring their own cauldrons," Peter piped up casually earning a disgusted glare from the boy in question.

A split second of silence followed his statement before Sirius found himself being sprayed by the contents of Remus's mouth, thankfully only pumpkin juice, which nonetheless had the rest of the table laughing also.

"Or maybe it's Harry he wants," James offered. "I do still hear rumours about you."

"But he has calmed down with the cologne thank Merlin, although those trousers are still worryingly tight," Harry broke in. "Sorry Sirius, I told you at the beginning of summer, you're just not my type."

Before the boy could reply the hall was interrupted by the arrival of the morning post as a hundred or so owls swept across the room to deliver packages and what not the staff and students alike.

Harry took advantage of the distraction and leaned in closer to James.

"We will tell him when we get home," he said, nodding towards Sirius. "Probably Remus and Peter too."

James visibly sagged in relief and placed a grateful hand on his shoulder before giving it a squeeze.

The two were dragged from their moment as an eerie silence fell amongst them causing them both to look around only to find students sharing worried looks as they took in the headline of the morning paper.

Harry frowned and pulled a copy closer to himself so that he could see what had caused such a reaction. What he read left him shocked and cold with his fury starting to take precedence over all other emotion. He had been expecting it to happen, not this exactly and not so soon but he knew it was a strong possibility. He glanced at the picture accompanying the article and began to seethe, already plotting his next cause of action in retaliation for what Tom had done. The man had been quiet for too long but now his silence was over and he had announced himself in a huge way, a way that left Harry feeling uncertain for the first time since he had arrived. He desperately wracked his brains for any knowledge of this incident and yet, he knew that this had not happened before and he was now in the waters of uncertainty and unknown.

He caught the fearful glances of his friends around him and even the look of deep concern from Bellatrix as the paper began to smolder in his furious hands. He looked upon the picture of several people hanging from shop signs by crude nooses and the figure stood in the middle of the street surrounded by dozens of corpses, his glowing red eyes prominent even in the black and grey image. He took a final look at the headline before it disintegrated in his hands his face now a pure mask of hatred and promised vengeance.

" **I Am Lord Voldemort"**

 **A/N**

 **Apologies for the delay guys but if you read my author page you will understand why this has taken so long. I'm still not decided on whether or not this will be continued as is or written in a sequel so your thoughts on this will be much appreciated but for more info have a look at my page which also explains my next work in progress a little more.**

 **As usual please follow, favourite and review and I feel that I need to reiterate the fact that I will ever abandon a story I begin to publish on here. I know it has been a while but my mantra stays the same and you can expect the first chapter of my new story in the very near future, so watch out for that. I of course recommend following me so you get notification of that as soon as it is up.**

 **TBR**


	11. Summertime Pt 1

**A/N**

 **It has been a while and as usual you have my apologies. Real life tends to get in the way of writing and publishing on here but if people are willing to pay my bills so I can write more then please be my guest, HA. Seriously though I am sorry for how long it has taken to update but it is here now and the story will never be abandoned as I have said previously. I am working on this as much as possible as well as balancing work and family life, being a grown up is just amazing. Anyway, here is part one of the summer following sixth year (I'm breaking it up into two parts or it would be an excessively long chapter).**

From the moment that the revelation of Voldemort had been digested, a palpable tension had fallen prevalent within the castle. The staff, in their more advanced years, had managed to accept the news with a more mature and collected reaction than that demonstrate by those under their tutelage.

Some were clearly gleeful that their exalted idol had finally emerged from the obscurity that surrounded him; their knowing grins told of such happiness. The majority of these were adorned in the silver and green of the serpent house but they were not alone in their joy, there were also others not of their kin that shared similar anticipatory looks, looks that were noted by their peers.

These peers did not rejoice in the glory of the Dark Lord.

Many simply swallowed. They had been expecting this since they had come under attack in Hogsmeade yet the reality of such a revelation far exceeded the nervousness and fear they felt set in.

Upon noting the variety and degree of reactions many did what comes natural when fear creeps in, they began to look for solace, for protection.

Some began to look towards the staff. These were the older students who held more understanding of what was to come. Others sought the protection of their siblings. These were the younger years that could not fully understand the ramifications of such a move but could recognise danger when it was this apparent. When it became clear that their own fear was reflected in the eyes and body language of those siblings, the eyes searched elsewhere. Many found their gaze shifting towards the staff table also, mirroring the actions of their brothers and sisters. But many eyes sought out the one person that had been there for them already, the one that had proven that he and his friends could combat this darkness.

Their eyes found Harry James Potter and what they saw was different from any reaction seen so far.

Fury.

The young man was trembling with rage, eyes glowing though narrowed and breathing laboured. The newspaper he clutched tightly in his hand simply burst in to flames as he stood. He spared none a glance as he exited the hall to alleviate his anger.

Mercifully, the final days of term passed quickly before said tensions could boil over to more than predatory grins, veiled threats and boisterous altercations within the corridors of the school. What became clear is that things had shifted and had done so unfavourably. Friends and acquaintances became suspicious of one another and those thought to once be enemies or at least at odds seemed to find common ground in which to build something akin to civility on.

Those pure of blood became much more sure of themselves, even more so than usual. They had nothing to fear after all.

Those of muggle parentage quickly did everything possible to merge within the shadows, not wanting to draw the ire of the Dark Lord towards them or their families.

Only few continued as they always had, refusing to be ruled by fear, these however were few and far between but those who crossed their path looked upon them with awe and respect, those who had given in to the fear at least. Those who had found their confidence simply sneered at this small group. Confident they may have become but it seemed they had learnt from their previous transgressions against certain members of the group. None were particularly keen to cross wands with Harry Potter or Bellatrix Black, any member of their circle if truth be told, not that they travelled alone now, even Bellatrix was scarcely seen unescorted.

For now, all seemed content to allow the term to come to and end and wait and see what would come next. Regardless of the wordless truce of sorts, it was abundantly obvious that the coming school year would be different. The lines had now been drawn. All that was left was to wait and see would cross them first.

(BREAK)

Harry breathed a deep sigh of relief as he stepped aboard the Hogwarts Express and began making his way down the corridor to locate his friends.

He had spent the remainder of the term in a state of frustration at what had transpired, immediately seeking out the Room of Requirement to blow off some steam. He had truly been furious and he knew he needed to allow the rage he felt abate before he simply acted on the impulse to hunt Tom and his followers down, something he had to fight the urge to do the moment he laid eyes on the article.

A few hours of destructive magic and a certainly quickly quilled note from Charlus allowed him to consider his options more coherently.

He had been told to exercise restraint by the older Potter before acting and advised that himself and Arcturus were almost ready to move forward with their own plans.

After some time he managed to once again reside himself to playing the waiting game, a game he was quickly becoming to despise. His advantage had all but vanished overnight and he took a little time to reflect on what had come to pass since he had arrived.

He had changed much, there was no doubt about that and those changes had led to where he found himself now. He once had an idea of what was coming but he was now facing uncertainty and he knew he would need to be much more cautious in his approach. This did not satiate his frustration however. He had felt like a caged animal over the passing days and could only ensure those in the castle would remain safe for now. Though tensions had been high, it seemed that he wasn't the only one feeling the onset uncertainty of what was to come and pass, no matter how smug the grins of certain groups had become.

But finally the end of term had arrived and it would give him the opportunity to take stock of the situation and plan accordingly to bring the end of Tom Riddle as soon as possible, but for this, he had to wait and see exactly what Charlus and Arcturus had up their sleeves.

He paused as he came upon a compartment occupied by only one person.

Regulus Black was rolling his wand between his fingers, his eyes distant with thoughts elsewhere. His reverie broke as his gaze snapped upwards, his wand following suit and being pointed at the intruder before the door had been fully opened.

"Nice reflexes," Harry praised.

Regulus immediately felt nervous, but lowered his wand nonetheless. Potter had never even uttered a harsh word in his direction and he knew he had not personally done anything to provoke his ire.

"It seems that fast reflexes are going to be needed now," he murmured in response.

Harry nodded as he closed the door and took a seat opposite the boy.

"Is this the part where you try to convince me to not join the Dark Lord?"

Harry frowned and shook his head.

"Your choices are your own," he replied with a shrug.

Regulus raised his eyebrows in response, but quickly schooled his features.

"Then why are you here?"

"Regardless of what choices you decide to make for yourself, I did promise your Grandfather I would look in on you from time to time."

The younger boy snorted in response and shook his head.

"Not necessary," Regulus waved him off dismissively. "I can handle myself".

Harry chuckled.

"I have no doubt about that, you are a Black after all."

Regulus nodded and sighed.

"My name is the only reason I've been left alone so far, but that won't last forever, we will all be forced to choose a side".

Harry gave the boy a sympathetic smile. He could understand the precarious position of the other boy. A Black he was but he was still a Slytherin in such dire times.

"You have to live with the choices you make Regulus, they are on you, but there is always someone to turn to," he offered. "I promised your Grandfather that I would look in on you and that is a promise I will keep no matter what but you are not now or will ever be alone you just have to ask for help when you need it".

The boy nodded and suddenly looked tired.

"Severus and Rudolphus said the same."

Harry grimaced slightly at the mention of the pair.

"I do have to warn you though".

Regulus met his gaze once more and swallowed nervously.

"I know what has to be done to take that mark; rape murder and torture." "You will become nothing more than a slave to that mad man and I can assure you you will either die or end up in Azkaban."

Regulus swallowed once more.

"I'm not asking you to join me, I'm not looking for followers, but if you take that mark or I come across you on one of their raids then I will treat you as I would any of them," he finished.

Regulus visibly shuddered at the sight of the now glowing green orbs but was cut off from replying.

"If you don't want to fight against them or myself then stay neutral, please do not make me kill you".

There was almost a pleading tone to his voice and Regulus could feel the sincerity coming from the older boy.

"Then either way I am dead or in prison," he chuckled darkly.

Harry shook his head.

"The best advice I can give is to speak to your father and Grandfather, they will protect you if you need it".

The boy rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I've heard the things that he is capable of," he said just above a whisper. "Can he truly be beaten?"

The glowing in Harry's eyes intensified as his magic thrummed throughout his every fibre.

"I will personally kill that bastard if it costs me my own life," he spat. "Why do you think I'm here?"

Regulus shivered at the declaration and vehemence in his voice, his own sticking in his throat.

"You need to think very long and hard about what it is you want to do Regulus, only you can make those decisions," Harry spoke again, his more demure countenance in place.

Regulus nodded.

"I will and thanks Potter".

Harry nodded as he exited the compartment offering the boy a final speculative glance before continuing on his way to find his own friends, thoughts of the boy left in his wake. Thoughts that soon left him as he entered the carriage that held the Marauders, Lily, Frank, Alice, Marlene and Bellatrix.

"Thank Merlin we are out of there," Sirius proclaimed. "I couldn't take much more of that".

"It will only get worse," Harry warned as he took a seat next to Bellatrix.

"It will," James agreed. "Whether we like it or not it will get worse".

The journey passed pleasantly enough with most of the group lost in their own thoughts for the duration. As usual, Charlus, Dorea and Arcturus were there to greet the teens as the exited the train on to the platform.

If the atmosphere in school was tense, it was nothing compared to the frosty feeling on 9 ¾. The parents of children were maintaining a suspicious distance from each other only sharing the occasional passing stare, all leaving immediately when their respective children had found them amongst the crowd.

"Myself and Arcturus will be escorting Miss Evans to her parents," Charlus informed them. "No arguments James," he added when it appeared that his son would protest. "We will explain everything when we are home".

James huffed slightly but conceded with a nod. He wrapped the girl in his arms and gave her a chaste kiss before she was led away by the two men.

Bellatrix spotted her parents and followed suit after giving Harry a promise that she would see him very soon.

Harry could only grin at her retreating form before he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Dorea coughing amusedly.

"Going well is it Harry?" She asked, the amusement increasing more so.

Harry frowned slightly but couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"It's still weird," Sirius cut in. "If it wasn't you I'd swear she'd enchanted you especially with that stupid little smirk you always have," he added with a shake of his head.

"What's wrong Sirius? Marlene not keeping you happy?" Harry returned.

"I think you'll find I have no problems keeping him happy," Marlene interjected hotly, a bright flush appearing on her face once she realised what she had said.

Sirius blushed also before attempting to stammer out a reply himself.

"We really don't want to know what weird stuff you two get up to," Harry pointed out.

"One could only imagine," Frank added with a shudder.

"You're not the head boy anymore Longbottom, don't think I won't curse you now like I would any of these idiots," Sirius threatened.

Frank simply chuckled before patting the other boy on his head.

"One day little Black, you may stand a chance," he added condescendingly.

Sirius growled and pulled away from Frank's hand grumpily.

"Anyway guys, you all stay in touch and I will see you soon for the tournament," he offered by ways of goodbye before he led Alice away to find their parents.

"We should go to," Remus explained. "I think our parents are over there."

The teens finished their final farewells knowing that they would all be together again soon. Once Remus and Peter had left, Dorea took Sirius, James and Harry to apparation point to head home themselves to begin the summer holidays.

(BREAK)

Lily found herself flanked on either side by the two men through to the muggle part of the station each of them with their hands on their wands, scanning the area meticulously as they went.

"We have to advise you to be extra vigilant Miss Evans, you in particular find yourself in a uniquely compromised position," Charlus warned.

"What do you mean?" the girl questioned worriedly.

"Things are changing each day, becoming more dangerous," Arcturus answered cryptically. "And we are about to begin making waves," he added, gesturing between himself and the other man.

"I don't understand," Lily mumbled quietly feeling a sense of unease settling in.

Charlus paused the trio and took the teens by the shoulders.

"You are a muggleborn dating the heir of a very prominent pureblood family," he began.

He held up a placating hand, gesturing for her to let him continue.

"Myself and my family hold no prejudices against you but there will be many who will see that as nothing less than a slight against them, they believe that as a pureblood heir James should be with and marry from another prominent family."

Lily looked more than a little hurt by that statement.

"Miss Evans, I wouldn't dream of interfering in either of my sons love life, I just need you to fully understand your position," he explained gently.

Lily nodded and waited for him to elaborate.

"With what we have planned there is a chance you will be targeted but we have thing set in motion that will see you safe it will just take a little time for us to get the approval we need".

"We are waiting for a permit to ward your family home," Arcturus continued. "As things stand we haven't received it yet and if we put any up now the Ministry would be there in moments to take them down".

Lily nodded her understanding but frowned slightly.

"No offense Lord Black, but I thought you despised muggles."

Arcturus shrugged.

"I have no love for them but James is my Nephew and he is a Potter not a Black," he explained a little bitterly. "I've been warned by my sister that it is to be his choice whom he is with," he finished with a little distaste in his tone.

Charlus laughed.

"Even Arcturus here knows not to upset my wife."

Lily smirked slightly at the grimace of the elder Black male.

"Anyway we just wanted you to have this for the time being," Charlus explained, handing the girl a ring. "Each of us, including Harry and James will have a matching one so if at any point you are in danger, simply turn it three times and we will get to you as soon as possible".

Lily raised an eyebrow as she accepted the gold band.

"That's really advanced charms work," she muttered as she placed it on the forefinger of her right hand.

"You can thank my wife for that, she is a dab hand at charms," Charlus said with more than a little pride in his voice.

"Thank you," Lily offered sincerely.

Charlus offered the girl a smile whilst Arcturus continued to watch the swarms of people passing them by.

"Use it if you need to or send a patronus, I do believe Harry has taught you?"

Lily nodded and smiled slightly.

"Good, we shall be in touch soon and collect you personally to attend the tournament and perhaps spend some time with ourselves for some of the summer if you like?"

"That would be nice, thank you again Lord Potter".

Charlus chuckled and shook his head.

"Charlus is fine Miss Evans, now I do believe your family are waiting," he finished, gesturing over the girls shoulder.

Lily turned to see her Mum and Dad watching her, both wearing looks of excitement at seeing their daughter again.

"Well she is at least attempting to adopt our ways," Arcturus conceded as the girl parted their company.

"She is indeed," Charlus returned, the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

(BREAK)

The remaining Potters and Sirius arrived at the manor and made themselves comfortable, a somewhat tense and expectant silence permeating around them. From the moment they had been in the elders company, the teens quickly became aware that something was happening, though none could quite put their finger on it. The first to break the silence was James, who looked more than mildly concerned at the demeanour shown by his parents and uncle.

"What's going on?" he asked his mother, a curious frown adorning his features.

Dorea shook her head apologetically.

"I don't know entirely," she replied. "Since the first attack your father and Arcturus have been more busy than usual."

James nodded his understanding.

"First attack?" Harry questioned.

Again, Dorea nodded.

"There's been a few others since, but they haven't been made public knowledge for some reason. It seems that the ministry are, for whatever reason, keen to keep it all quiet."

Harry growled irritably.

"Sounds about right," he grumbled. It certainly seemed that regardless of the severity of the situation, the ministry was just as willing as always to leave everyone in the dark.

The four stayed lost in their own thoughts until both Charlus and Arcturus arrived and sat down amongst them, both looking more tired and severe than they usually did.

Charlus stretched and groaned as he took his seat, sighing at the comfort he now felt.

"Well, that's one thing done, let us just hope that the permit comes through quickly then we can get the wards up".

"Dad, what is going on?" James asked, his impatience getting the better of him.

Charlus shared a look with Arcturus who gestured for him to explain.

"With what is to come we felt that it is necessary to put some form of protection in place for Miss Evans and her family," he began.

"What do you mean?"

"Things are becoming exceedingly dangerous and will even more so in the coming days". "The attack in the paper was only the beginning, we know of four others for certain that have taken place since and we fear that it may well be even more than that."

"From what we have been able to gather from our sources, the attacks have involved werewolves, Dementors and even a few vampires," Arcturus explained. "It seems as though our Dark Lord friend is making his move for power".

"How can it get more dangerous than that?" a now pale Sirius questioned.

A rather sickly smirk appeared on his Grandfathers face.

"Because we are going to make our move too," he answered simply.

Sirius wore a look of confusion but was cut off by Charlus before he could speak once more.

"We have it on good authority that certain members of the Wizengamot are going to use these attacks to put further legislation in place that would be detrimental to the werewolves and other dark creatures".

The three teens in the room were both furious and worried, thoughts of their friend at the front of their minds.

"But surely that would just make them join him even more," James pointed out.

"That does seem to be their plan," Arcturus agreed. "Such legislation could cause real issues with all creatures including the goblins and we all know how delicate that situation would become".

James dragged a hand through his hair and sighed.

"What the hell are we going to do?"

Charlus was smirking smugly now, looking very proud of himself indeed.

"We have been very busy," he responded cryptically. "We have been calling in favours and cultivating alliances the last few months and have managed to amass ourselves quite the power block to oppose anything put to the Wizengamot".

Both James and Sirius wore matching looks of surprise while Harry smiled knowingly.

"But you both hate the Wizengamot," Sirius broke in.

Both men nodded.

"But as it stands, it is of paramount importance," Arcturus returned. "We would both much rather deal with this head on but that's not possible without furthering their own cause".

Sirius and James both frowned at this.

"What do you mean?" the latter asked.

"As things stand, the outward agenda of his followers is to preserve our traditions from the threat of muggleborns and half-bloods who, with the legislation passed by the Wizengamot, have slowly been attaining more rights over the last few decades," the elder Potter explained.

James nodded his understanding.

"This Voldemort is using propaganda to push the idea and belief that they are a significant threat to our ways and that more sanctions should be placed on them, sanctions that would be extremely prejudice. He is proclaiming that they are a threat and that they are systematically creating an uprising to usurp the pureblood power".

"I can see why a lot of people would buy into that," James mumbled.

"Exactly," Arcturus cut in. "But we know based on his own blood that he is just using this as a front to gain power for himself," he added with a shake of his head. "He wants to create the illusion of a blood war when in reality, it is nothing of the sort".

"Surely people can see that though," Sirius piped up exasperatedly.

"Of course," Arcturus agreed. "But he is a very powerful man and the non-purebloods are slowly losing power," Arcturus returned bitterly. "They now can't outright pass legislation without underhand techniques".

"That's why he is using the werewolves," James mumbled. "No one will vote against something that will keep their families safe".

Arcturus nodded.

"But if the legislation passes then all we will do is bolster his numbers, they will flock to him to get rid of the power that is against them".

"Then why don't we just kill the bastards?" James questioned coldly.

Charlus shook his head.

"What happens when prominent purebloods start turning up dead?"

James frowned.

"We would just be confirming their propaganda," Harry whispered. "They would use that to blame on the muggleborns and half-bloods".

"Now you see our issue," Charlus deadpanned. "That is why we need to hinder them politically and be reactive as much as possible until the ministry recognises this group for the threat they truly are".

Harry huffed in frustration. It was bad enough being stuck in school but now being told there was nothing that could be done as things were grated on his nerves to no end.

"So we do nothing?" James broke in angrily.

Charlus sighed.

"No James, we simply have to be patient. Politics is a major part of any war and this one won't be any different".

"Then why don't I just kill the bastard now?" Harry broke in.

Both Charlus and Arcturus chuckled whilst James and Sirius glanced at him with both surprise and worry.

"Go ahead if you can find him," Arcturus shrugged. "Regardless of what you think, the Ministry have their very best attempting to locate him and not a trace can be found".

Harry dragged a hand through his hair and sighed. He was under no illusion that Voldemort was an exceedingly gifted wizard and would not be found if he didn't want to be. He wasn't even certain that he was able to match him with a wand at this stage, something he certainly held doubts about.

Seeing the frustration of the boy, Charlus attempted to placate him by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"We will do absolutely everything we can to hinder him, for now you need to focus on training and the tournament just around the corner," he reminded the teen.

"I know," Harry conceded, though he was clearly not very happy about it.

"One last thing," Charlus interrupted as he removed a small box from his pocket. "Because of Miss Evans association with you, there is a chance she could become a target so we have taken steps to ensure her safety".

"Why would Lily become a target," James bit back angrily.

"She is a muggleborn, she is dating the heir of a very prominent family and we are about to ruffle some feathers." Arcturus listed off. "The rest of your friends all live under powerful enough wards to at least get warning of an attack so we gave her something to alert us if she is in danger".

Charlus handed the three teens each a plain silver ring.

"These will heat up if Miss Evans needs our assistance," he explained. "They will act as a portkey and take us as close to her as possible".

Each of the three boys were looking very concerned at the unexpected concession.

"It is just a precaution," Charlus assured them. "We are certain that she is in no danger but we want to cover all bases and leave nothing to chance. We all know how unsavory these people are and we can't afford laxity in any way".

"You have thought of everything," Harry praised.

Charlus nodded and smirked.

"As I said, we have been very busy these past few months".

Harry offered the man an appreciative smile.

"Now that is out of the way, you can at least try to enjoy your summer," Dorea spoke dryly. "I'm sure the ladies in your life wouldn't want you locked away training all the time".

"No, they'd sooner be training with us," Sirius muttered, an amused smile gracing his lips.

Charlus chuckled at the boy but felt a slight pang of sadness. It was bad enough that Harry was subjecting himself to such a way life but to see both James and Sirius following in his footsteps was more than a little disconcerting. He accepted, that as things were, it was a necessity to prepare them for what was coming but that did not make it any easier on the man. It did however strengthen his resolve to do every thing possible to end the threat that loomed over them all. He shot Arcturus a resolved look which the man returned, both clearly having similar thoughts. He nodded and gestured for the man to follow. It would be prudent to go over their plans one last time; just to be that more certain of course.

"I want all three of you on the quidditch pitch in two," he instructed firmly.

The three boys frowned but it was James who spoke first.

"Why?" he asked with a confused look.

Charlus smirked.

"We want to see how far you have all come this year and see if Harry is really ready for this tournament, you're representing our family after all," he added with an edgy but teasing tone.

A slight tug of the lips in amusement was all that Harry gave away, but his eyes turned to steel. If Charlus wanted to see what he could do, who was he to disappoint the man.

(BREAK)

Lord Voldemort sat in his private room at the Hogs Head, gently swirling the wine in his goblet as he reflected on the past few weeks and how far his movement had progressed in such a short amount of time.

Recruitment had increased tenfold since he had revealed himself. Although most of his new people were mediocre at best, they could all serve a purpose in some way. Amongst the dregs however, he had managed to add some considerable resource also. He now had ministry workers, a few cursebreakers and even some aurors to name just few and these were certainly welcome additions to his quickly swelling ranks. He had managed to sway the werewolf clans, which under the leadership of Greyback, were growing more so each day. Though he loathed the creatures personally, he could certainly use their assistance for the more savage needs of his cause.

Negotiations with the Giants and Vampires were coming along at a more sedate pace than he would like, but progress was being made. This particular piece of news had warranted a genuine smile from the man. A powerful wizard he was and charismatic to a fault, but he had no patience in dealing with creatures beneath him so chose to delegate that particular task to a very keen Walden Macnair. The man was certainly proving his worth already and would without doubt make his way up the ranks very quickly if he continued to impress.

Overall the Dark Lord was extremely happy with his lot for now, even if the past several months had been shaky at best. He grimaced in remembrance at how badly things had gone.

It all began when he failed to secure the allegiance of the Black family on Boxing Day and subsequently lost his most skilled fighter because of the foolish actions of those that serve him.

He shook his head distastefully.

It was easy to blame the fools for their mishaps but he too had been unprepared for the on common denominator in the equation; Harry Potter.

Not only had the boy been the cause of both the fate of Antonin and the failure to secure the Black support but he had also thwarted his attempts to create panic amongst the masses with the strategic attack on Hogsmeade becoming a monumental failure.

He shook his head again and sighed deeply.

He had heard nothing from the boy since he wrote to him all those months ago and he suspected now that he wouldn't. In fact, his recent success had not given him time to ponder the boy, he was only one person after all; not worth wasting time on, though he certainly could be an asset indeed. He reflected back to the day in which the Prophet had announced the boy as their champion to represent Great Britain in the upcoming European Tournament and the mixed emotions he felt.

He was certainly annoyed that he had taken Antonin's place as the one who had also killed him but he also felt rather proud of the teen. He demonstrated ambition and tenacity, two things that he could certainly respect. It took a certain talent to ever reach such a level and the boy had managed it at only sixteen years old, something he himself had not managed.

This thought had brought him pause.

If he was already at such a level then how far could the boy really go? That thought alone would worry him if he weren't the Dark Lord. People were falling at his feet, basking in his power. This boy could never be a match for him in any way so he was of no concern in the greater scheme of things. That didn't change the fact that he would much rather have the boy on side, but he was content that his plans were moving forward without a hitch now.

If the boy maintained his distance and didn't involve himself, the Dark Lord was happy to leave things neutral between them for now. He had made the overtures and it was now in Harry Potters hands to make the next move.

(BREAK)

Harry threw himself heavily on to his bed and stretched deeply, allowing his eyes to close as his aching body relaxed into the mattress. The day had been nothing short of brutal as both Charlus and Arcturus had pulled no punches in their duels with the teens. Both James and Sirius had held themselves well, but it was a harsh lesson for them both as the older men eventually bested them.

Harry had faired much better and had beaten them both, but it had not come easily. He was certainly more powerful than the duo and had an arguably much more diverse spell repertoire, but the ruthlessness and creativity of both the elder Black and Potter almost caught him off guard several times, with neither being a slouch in the power department either. It was plain to see why these men were feared and respected amongst their peers and Harry gratefully accepted the help he had gotten from them and could say without doubt that they far outstripped any other opponents he had crossed wands with thus far.

Charlus was equally aggressive and creative. His mixture of transfiguration and battle magic was terrifying. Holding nothing back, he had Harry reversing his creations and dodging more than the younger Potter was neither comfortable with nor accustomed to. His onslaught had been destructive and relentless and Harry had no doubt that had he faced the man when he first arrived he would have stood no chance. His eyes glowed eerily as he bombarded the teen with an array of spells designed for nothing more than obliteration which made Harry more than a little nervous, but he held his own. His reserves were much higher than the older man and he eventually managed to overwhelm Charlus with a barrage of his own to render the man an unconscious mess. He was at first hesitant to fire off anything permanently debilitating but seeing that his opponent was holding nothing back, he kindly returned the favour. When all was said and done, Charlus was left in rather poor condition. A few healing potions and charms later he was on his feet again courtesy of Dorea who, along with the medical aide, gave him a disapproving look.

Arcturus fought exactly how Harry had expected him to. In true Black fashion he bombarded him with what must have been close to every horrific curse in his arsenal, many of which Harry had never heard of nor seen. Harry was wary of Arcturus, particularly when he noted the look of glee he wore as he attempted to pulverize him by any means necessary. The older man was smooth and slick in his approach to fighting. He transitioned seamlessly from one lethal curse to the other, each spell becoming more deadly, the glint in his eye becoming more prominent.

Eventually, Harry managed to subdue him with an Asphyxiation Curse, but even then the older man continued to fight until he lost consciousness a few minutes later, much to the relief of Harry. Arcturus simply could not reverse the curse, try as he might. The power behind the spell was too much for his already depleted magic.

Harry winced slightly as he shook his head. He certainly had not come away unscathed as both men had caught him more than he would have liked with some of their spells, fortunately nothing immediately fatal.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a gentle knock on his door.

"Come in," he groaned.

James limped into the room, demonstrating his own share of injuries from the day and took a seat on the end of the bed. He said nothing at first but his eyes scanned the other boy, evidently pondering what it was he wanted to get off his chest. He eventually spoke, his voice resigned yet hopeful for denial.

"That's why you came back isn't it?" he asked in little more than a murmur.

Harry could do little more than look confused by the question. Before he could speak however, James continued with a sigh.

"You asked Dad and Uncle Arcturus if you should just kill him now," he pointed out. "You meant Voldemort".

His final words were not questioning nor were the accusatory. They were merely said with conviction but not accepting.

Harry dragged a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration.

This was not a conversation he particularly wanted to have but in this moment, he knew it was inevitable. The day itself had taken its toll on him physically and keeping everything to himself for such a long time on top of this caused him to reflect on his position. He had promised the boy in front of him that he would have his explanation in due course but was it prudent right now? No it truly wasn't, but when would a time be right? He knew that such a time would not come to fruition. So with a final swallow and nod, he confirmed the others suspicion.

James visibly sagged and put his head in his hands as though that nod had taken the final vestige of hope he held.

Harry said nothing. He continued to watch the other boy, attempting to gage where his mind currently resided.

It was a few moments later that James extricated himself, his eyes shining with unshed tears, a broken look marring his face.

"Why?" he asked weakly. "Why does it have to be you?"

"Because I'm the only one who can," Harry whispered slightly apologetic.

James audibly swallowed and shook his head.

"There's more to it than that," he returned firmly. "It's not that simple".

Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly knowing full well James would not be satisfied with anything but the truth. He snorted before replying.

"It has to be me".

He held up a hand, stopping the other boy from interrupting.

"I'll tell you," he promised. "It would be an insult to the man you became if I couldn't trust you, you did give your life for me at some point after all".

James gave a watery chuckle before smiling.

"I'd do it again if I had to," he offered sincerely.

Harry shook his head firmly.

"I won't allow that to happen, that's what I'm trying to stop".

The pair remained lost in their own thoughts before James once more broke the silence.

"Then why is it that is has to be you?" he asked heatedly. "You're only sixteen for Merlin sake".

Harry stood and began pacing, shooting the occasional furtive glance towards the other boy.

"It's complicated," he finally sighed. "It all started before I was born".

James frowned in confusion but waited for Harry to continue.

"There was a prophecy".

"A prophecy?" James questioned, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

Harry nodded and James narrowed his eyes angrily.

"You're doing this because of the words of a nutter who think they can see into the future?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"Partly," he admitted. "But she has been right before when it mattered".

James stood mouth agape but quickly firmed his jaw, his eyes burning more furiously.

"And what the hell does this prophecy say? When was it made?"

Harry recounted the words of the prophecy, watching as James try to discern its meaning.

"I don't know exactly when it was made but since the person who made it is not the Divination professor, I can assume it hasn't happened yet".

James huffed and pierced Harry with a withering glare.

"So it's not even relevant now," he pointed out. "It doesn't even exist and might never do for all we know".

"It's relevant to me," Harry returned firmly, a little of his frustration surfacing.

"You don't have to do this," James hissed. "He will never know its you now".

Harry snorted.

"Then he will look elsewhere and go after someone else."

"Then let him do that," James countered. "What does it matter to you? You're free Harry, you can live your life."

It was clear that James was worried and was trying to find a way in which Harry did not have to act or place himself in danger.

"It's not just about the prophecy," Harry replied, his demeanour darkening considerably.

James frowned but held his tongue as Harry elaborated.

"I have to do this, he took everything from me".

"So you're willing to die for revenge?" James surmised disbelievingly. "Why does any of that matter now? You have us all, we are right here Harry".

"Because I want him dead by my hand," Harry spat in reply, his eyes glowing, trembling in rage and a positively feral look overcoming him. "He murdered my parents in front of me," he added, his voice becoming louder. "He is the reason I grew up with those bastards, he is the reason I have had to watch friends die and he is the reason I am the way I am".

James was surprised by the usually calm boys sudden outburst, but it did nothing to quell his doubts. The anger Harry felt was righteous, that he could not deny, but he could not understand the level of desire of vengeance he felt. He however knew full well that he had yet faced anything compared to what Harry had been through so he was aware that he could not understand what the other boy was truly feeling, how deep set that need for vengeance had become. He could easily admit to himself that seeing Harry this way hurt him so and he again had to push away the guilt of an older self for dying instead of being around to raise the teen in front of him.

He nodded at what little understanding he had.

"But what about us?" he questioned hoarsely. "Me, Sirius, Mum and Dad? And I never thought I'd say this but what about Bellatrix?"

"That's a low blow."

"It needed to be said because clearly you're not thinking of us".

Harry felt a stab of pain at James's words and the look of hurt did not go unnoticed by the other boy.

"You're not alone anymore Harry," he spoke much more softly. "You have people who love you, who care about you and who will do anything to keep you safe, just don't forget that while you're doing what you feel like you have to".

Harry nodded appreciatively as he felt a sense of warmth spread throughout him.

"When did you grow up so much?" Harry muttered.

James smirked and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Right about the time I was told I had a sixteen year old son," he offered humourously.

"Something that people can't know," Harry reminded him.

"The ones that matter can," James returned sincerely. "Regardless of everything, the whole charade we have to put on for everyone, you are my son Harry and I can't look at you in any other way".

A momentary look of surprise passed across Harry's features but he smiled gratefully.

"I couldn't be more proud of you and what you've achieved despite everything."

"I thought you'd be a bit jealous of me," Harry admitted.

"I am very jealous of you and what you can do, but when I feel that envy I just remind myself that half of you is me and I'm just proud again".

Harry found himself beaming in pride. All he ever wanted was his parents to be proud of him and now he had that in some way, no matter how strange the circumstances.

"We really should talk to Padfoot though, I hate keeping things from him," James broke in.

"We will, tomorrow," Harry promised.

(BREAK)

On the other side of the door Sirius Black wore a look of shock and confusion. He had heard raised voices between the other boys in the house and had come to see if everything was ok. He certainly got more than he bargained for.

He felt as though he was caught in a very surreal yet vivid dream as he heard the conversation between the two Potters and yet he knew he had heard correctly despite the concussion he had received from the days training.

He shook his head as his feet carried him back to his own room, his mind in a complete haze.

He could neither comprehend what to think or what to do, all he knew was that he needed to be alone and think, though he knew it wouldn't do much good.

A large part of him wanted to simply blast the door of its hinges and demand to know what on earth was going on, but the smaller voice in his head prevailed and had willed his legs to pull him away.

He took a deep, laboured breath as he closed his door behind him and slumped upon it for support.

"What the fuck," he muttered, still not able to process what he had just heard.

(BREAK)

Lucius Malfoy arrived at Spinners End, the home address of his next potential recruit, one Severus Snape. The boy had been pointed out to him by Rudolphus LeStrange as a person of interest, despite the fact that he was merely a half-blood.

According to Rudolphus, Snape was a prodigy in potions, something that was a rare yet much sought after gift. Not many people had the aptitude nor patience to be a competent brewer and if indeed Severus Snape was as good as he was led to believe, then he would be a welcome addition to the ranks.

Lucius flared his nostrils in distaste at the muggle surroundings as he approached the front door and knocked sharply. He only had to wait a moment before it was flung open by a disheveled man who was clearly a muggle; easy to deduce by the way he was dressed and the look of disgust he greeted his guest with.

"What?" the man questioned harshly.

Lucius swallowed down the annoyance he felt and composed himself before replying.

"Good afternoon Mr. Snape, may I have a word with Severus?"

The man sneered in his direction and looked him up and down in disgust.

"One of their lot are?" he growled.

Lucius again fought down his irritation and nodded, no longer trusting himself to speak less he drew his wand and cursed the man in front of him.

Tobias Snape grunted as he jerked his head in a general direction behind himself and stepped aside to allow the younger man in.

"Room furthest at the back," he grumbled as he went back to whatever he was doing before being interrupted.

Lucius wrinkled his nose as the man left him in the front hall. Shaking his head he quickly made he way through the house and found the room in question. He knocked and waited for a reply.

(BREAK)

Severus Snape had had a bad year, both on a personal and on an academic level. In regards to the former he had failed to earn Lily's forgiveness after his moment of foolishness in which he uttered the most offensive expletive possible in his moment of rage at Potter. He knew that he had upset the girl with his 'mudblood' remark and that it would take something exceptional for her to even consider his apology genuine. He had distanced himself, allowed her the previous summer to begin to calm down but he had planned on reconciliation once they were back at Hogwarts. It was not to be however.

With the arrival of the new Potter and the fact that she had somehow managed to find herself in a relationship with the aforementioned one, things had changed for the worst. Not only was forgiveness nigh impossible, it wasn't something he craved any longer. He mourned his friendship and he mourned the loss of the sweet little redhead in which he had acquainted himself with all those years ago, long before they had attended Hogwarts.

Lily Evans was no longer that same girl.

She had emerged from the shell of the shy little girl he once knew and was now confident, brave and slightly arrogant in his opinion. She had become rather conceited since she and Potter had become dated and there was no place in her life for someone like him.

In fact, there was no place for someone in which she had become in his. He detested such traits. He basked in his achievements in seclusion and treasured them so. It was not the concern of any other what he himself was capable of and what he was on his way to fulfilling.

But this had been set back considerably and he could once again lie blame at the name Potter.

He had been well on his way to becoming the youngest potions master seen in recent history and now, that accolade was fading, the use of his sectumsempra curse on James Potter had seen to that.

Slughorn had been both furious and disappointed with his actions and decided that Severus would not be completing his NEWT in potions a year early, regardless of how good he was. He even explained that he was not certain that he wanted the young man to apprentice under him to obtain said mastery.

This had caused Severus to consider his position.

Not only had he now lost the most important person to himself, he had also lost the opportunity to reach his potential at Hogwarts. He had no doubt that Slughorn would supervise him through his studies, the man was far too prone to taking opportunities to gloat and share in the success of the more talent than he himself could ever be but beyond that, he had no idea in what his future held.

He once dreamed that Lily would realise her love for him and that they would be together but now he understood that it was a foolish, childish dream and one that would never come to be. Even the thought of now kissing her sickened him slightly knowing that Potter had been there first.

Instead he would find an opportunity where he could truly showcase his talents. He would prove to all that he was worth something; Slughorn, his Father and Mother and even Lily Evans.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the sound of knocking caught his attention. He frowned as he opened the door to be faced with Lucius Malfoy, an upperclassmen of which he hadn't seen for several years since he had graduated.

"I assume you know who I am," Lucius stated, his self-importance shining through.

The frown never left Snape's face as he nodded, wondering what on earth Malfoy wanted with him. Despite this however, he stepped aside and gesture for the man to take a seat.

Lucius seemed to stare at him for a moment or two as if he was appraising him. He fought down the discomfort he felt and kept his expression neutral, waiting for him to speak. He eventually nodded as though satisfied by his observations.

"Now I am sure you're wondering what it is that has brought me here today."

Severus merely raised an eyebrow causing Lucius to smirk in response.

"Straight to the point I see," he continued. "I have it on good authority that you are somewhat proficient in the art of potions and someone who can also handle themselves if the situation calls for it".

Lucius could not help but notice the gleam in the younger boys eyes as he preened slightly under the compliment. The apparent gleam was there for but a split second, quickly replaced once more by a stoic expression.

"I'm sure that a young man as sharp as yourself is aware of what is happening in our world?"

Snape frowned slightly but nodded his understanding.

"It's hard to miss with people such as Rudolphus spewing his vitriol," he drawled in return causing Lucius to chuckle awkwardly.

"The LeStrange family are not known for their ability to hold their tongues," he conceded. "However, I can assure you that they sit at the bottom of the pile in what we are achieving".

Snape again remained quiet. He had already figured why the man had come to see him but he was not going to make it an easy task. Being honey-tongued with him would not win him over and it certainly would not be Lucius Malfoy who would either.

His thoughts were interrupted by the blonde speaking once more.

"We need people like you Mr. Snape".

Severus found his lips curling. He was waiting for the more direct approach, he had no time for Slytherin games or attempts at manipulation.

"I am merely a sixteen year old boy," he pointed out.

"You are a part of the future of our world," Malfoy returned. "You will be a part of reshaping it, moulding it into something that we can be proud of".

"I am a half-blood, one that has a future as things stand in whatever I choose to do, what am I to gain from joining your cause?"

Lucius smirked once more; he liked this boy. He was not inclined to be persuaded simply by words which demonstrated intelligence and individual thought, something that he could certainly respect.

"Well Mr. Snape, the possibilities are endless. It could be that you would be allowed to research and practice any magic you wish. It could be that you could be given access to potions both past and present that you would never get to work with".

Again the gleam in Snape's eyes became prominent. There was much that he would admittedly like to research and practice, yet current legislation would not allow such a thing.

"You could get revenge on those that have wronged you," Lucius continued.

Now he was getting to the secondary reason for being here. The boy had spent the past year in the castle with Harry Potter, the boy that had caused himself and his family embarrassment on ore than one occasion.

Snape shook his head.

"Revenge?"

"Potter attacked you did he not?"

Snape grimaced at the reminder.

"Because I attacked his brother," Snape explained. "Not the best idea Rudolphus had," he muttered.

"Then why do it?"

Snape smirked. He was a realist and pragmatic. This allowed his cool logic to prevail.

"I was not aware that the other Potter was so ruthless or dangerous, a mistake I will not make again".

Lucius frowned; perhaps he had made a mistake. He had spoken to both Rudolphus and Rabastan at length about the Potter boy and had gleaned nothing more than the boy was a blood-traitor and had gotten lucky thus far in their confrontations.

"Make no mistake, the younger Potter is very dangerous and I certainly do not wish to be on the other end of his wand again," Snape offered with a grudging respect that Lucius picked up on.

"You respect him?" he questioned with narrowed eyes.

"Not him but his ambition as any true Slytherin would. He has clearly put much effort into his abilities and to underestimate him would be foolish. I doubt there are few alive that hold such potential and raw power as Potter," he conceded.

"Then how would you deal with him?"

"I would not attack him directly, your chances of survival would be slim. He killed several fully grown wizards in Hogsmeade and even Antonin Dolohov if the words of Rudolphus can be trusted".

Lucius too had heard this via a conversation his father had with his mother, though he couldn't validate such a thing personally. He accepted the words of the other boy with a nod. It would be amateurish to not heed them at the very least, he had proven himself much more intelligent than either of the LeStrange brothers thus far.

He rose from his seat and withdrew a card he had been given by the Dark Lord.

"We truly could use a man of your calibre," he spoke sincerely as he placed the card on the desk nearby. "There is a meeting in 3 days time, all you have to do is allow the card to transport you there, listen to what is said and then you a free to make a decision".

Snape nodded.

"Be warned however, this meeting will be heavily regulated and supervised, you must keep this a secret. You do not want to make an enemy of the Dark Lord, Am I clear?"

Again Severus nodded his understanding.

"Two pm, three days from now, it was nice meeting you Mr. Snape and I truly hope to see you there," he finished, offering the younger boy his hand.

Snape took the proffered and shook it firmly, maintaining eye contact with the man.

Lucius left the room in a contemplative mood. Snape was very different from any other he had attempted to recruit. He was much brighter of course but there was something with in that set him apart from the usual pureblood maniacs he dealt with. There was a quiet confidence about him. He understood his self worth and clearly had goals, goals that he was willing to work for.

He smirked.

Severus Snape would either be an excellent recruit, amongst the best the Dark Lord would have to offer or he would be little more than an overall disappointment, depending on what choices he made.

Of course, only time would tell.

Lucius had not gotten what he sought from the boy but he had given him much to think on in regards to the Potter boy. It was time to become more Slytherin in his approach. He needed to consider all options, look in to the matter as much as possible before he would take action. His own honour would not allow the boy to get away with the transgressions against him and his family. Lucius Malfoy would not be embarrassed by anyone and allow them to get away with it.

(BREAK)

The professors of Hogwarts found themselves seated in the Great Hall for the inevitable end of year meeting, the final meeting they would hold before they could each enjoy the summer break they had earned.

Three of the four house tables had been moved aside, leaving one in the very centre in which they had gathered round, waiting for the headmaster to make his appearance.

The year had been a long and difficult one and each member of staff knew that the next would be even more so.

It was only a few moments later that Dumbledore entered the room with his Phoenix sat upon his shoulder. He offered them a greeting with a nod and a smile, the seemingly everlasting twinkle in his eyes as prominent as always.

He breathed a long sigh of relief as he took the seat and basked in the silence of the castle. He found nothing more satisfying than being a professor, yet the silence of the castle was always welcoming at the end of an academic year.

"Thank Merlin they have gone," Minerva proclaimed. "I was certain we would have chaos within these walls before the term ended".

"I can assure you Minerva that this is the calm before the storm, next year will not be so peaceful," Flitwick responded gravely.

"Let us hope it does not come to that my friends," Dumbledore broke in. "But I fear that Filius is right. This summer is going to be very detrimental to our next year here".

An imposing silence fell upon those gathered, none doubting the words of the wizened headmaster.

"Well what can we do about it?" Slughorn finally asked.

"We cannot allow what is happening outside to influence the running of this castle," Professor Kettleburn answered.

Mortlake chuckled.

"And how do you suppose you can achieve that?"

The men and women looked to each other for any ideas.

"War is coming, we all know that," Mortlake continued. "And it will spill to within this very school, you mark my words".

Dumbledore nodded his agreement.

"Indeed, then we must put steps in place to minimize it as best we can. What say you Edward, what would you do?"

"Firstly, if you can't get rid of the LeStranges and their cohorts you need to limit their contact with the other houses, the Gryffindor's in particular," Mortlake replied without hesitation. "I wouldn't put it past Potter to actually kill them next year".

"We can't just throw them out even if they are the instigators, we have no proof of any wrong doing," Dumbledore reminded him.

Mortlake shrugged.

"It is not my problem Albus, I promised you one more year and I have fulfilled my obligation. As I said war is coming and my place is not behind a desk teaching teenagers".

Dumbledore nodded his understanding; he had expected this.

"Where are you heading Edward?" Filius questioned.

"To the Aurors, I believe they will soon have need for every capable wand".

Dumbledore smiled and offered the man a respectful nod. He certainly could not expect a man of Mortlake's talent or morals to sit out the war in a castle.

"Then I wish you the best of luck Edward," Dumbledore stated sincerely. "Though it seems that I now must find a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," he added with a frown.

"An ideas?" Slughorn asked.

Mortlake snorted.

"Just ask Potter to do it," he suggested half-jokingly.

The rest of the staff found the humour in the suggestion.

"I am certain that Mr. Potter would do an admirable job but I think not, he is still a student regardless of his experience".

"Then who?" Minerva broke in.

"Something to ponder I believe," Dumbledore answered as he stroked his beard absentmindedly.

"Then perhaps we should be discussing the appointment of prefects and our head boy and girl," Minerva responded.

Dumbledore nodded seriously.

"Something of paramount importance for this year in particular," he agreed.

(BREAK)

Sirius Black awoke, his head pounding within his skull. The pounding could be attributed to several things. It was possible that it was merely the after effects of the amount of curses he had been hit with the previous day, particularly the nasty concussion curses Charlus was rather keen on throwing around. Or it was the snippet of conversation he had overheard coming from Harry's room between the two other teens in the house. This, he was certain, was the cause of said headache.

He sighed as he shook his head, mulling over what it was he heard.

According to the conversation, somehow James was Harry's father, though he did not know how that was possible and thinking about it only caused his head to throb more so and his confusion to increase tenfold.

"What the hell is going on?" he muttered.

He was certain that he had not been dreaming when he heard the words between the boys, but how could any of this be true?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

He didn't know what was going on but he would find out. He dragged himself from his bed and proceeded to dress himself in a completely mute state, the look of confusion remaining in place.

He eventually had enough clarity to make his way to the kitchen where the rest of the Potters were already sat, each of them eating breakfast and sharing light conversation.

"Ahh the sleepy one rises, how's the head Padfoot?" James questioned before taking a long gulp of orange juice.

Sirius could only shrug in reply as he took his seat, massaging his throbbing temples as he did so.

"Here," Dorea spoke, offering the boy a pain relief potion. "That should take the edge of it".

Sirius drained the potion gratefully and immediately felt his heavy head lighten a little.

"What are you boys doing today?" Charlus questioned.

"Training and quidditch," James answered with a smile. "It's been so long since we've been able to play".

Harry couldn't help but grin at the plan. None of the teens had been able to fly much this year.

"Sirius?"

The boy in question looked up at the sound of his name and glanced at each of the Potters, his already fraying temper finally breaking.

"Well I was planning on figuring out how it is that he is his son," he spat, pointing between James and Harry respectfully.

Their silence said it all and the worried looks they shared only confirmed what he already knew, though it did not stop the stab of betrayal he felt when they failed to placate him with any denial. It was quite some time before anyone spoke but it was Charlus who attempted to calm the seething Black.

"Let me explain," he tried with a deep sigh.

Sirius shot to his feet and slammed his hand on the table before turning a venomous glare towards James.

"You promised the day he came here that you'd never lie to me again, that you wouldn't keep anything from me".

James was visibly stricken by his words but he did not cower.

"I had to Pads, I had to protect him," he returned hotly but he could not hide the sadness in his voice.

"Protect him from what? I just don't understand".

"Let me explain Sirius, please?" Harry cut in.

Sirius turned his gaze to him and could only look upon the boy as a stranger, it pained him to do so but he didn't even know if he knew him anymore.

He acquiesced his request with a nod and took his seat once more.

It took some time for Harry to explain with the help of the other Potters when it was necessary. Throughout his words Sirius remained largely stoic though his eyes betrayed him several times. All he knew was that when the talking had finished, he was mentally exhausted. The morning truly had taken its toll on him.

"So you time travelled here twenty years from the future?" Sirius finally asked.

Harry nodded in reply.

"And you are really his father?" he asked turning his attention to James.

"I am," he confirmed.

"I just don't know what to say," Sirius mumbled.

"I'm sorry Padfoot," James tried, his voice laced with hurt and sincerity.

"I think I just need to be alone now," he muttered as he exited the room.

James made to go after him but was held back by Harry.

"I'll go".

James nodded and slumped into his chair, dejection written all over his face.

Harry made his way up the stairs and found Sirius in his room packing his trunk.

"Where are you going?" he asked worriedly. He really didn't want the other boy to leave.

"I just need to get away from here for a while," was the reply he received, not even being graced with a glance from Sirius.

"It's my fault, I told them to keep it from you".

Sirius slammed the lid of his trunk with more force than necessary and bored his eyes into Harry.

"Almost a year you kept all this from me, did I not prove you could trust me?"

Harry swallowed deeply and took a breath.

"I trusted you more than anyone else before I came here," he admitted.

Sirius was taken aback by the words.

"Then what changed?"

"You did Sirius," Harry answered with a smile. "You're not the same man I knew, you are just a seventeen year old kid".

Sirius frowned but Harry cut him off before he could speak.

"I lost my parents when I was a year old and had no one until you came into my life when I was thirteen, you were the father figure I never had".

Despite his anger Sirius was curious and he wanted that satiated before he left.

"What happened?"

"Voldemort," Harry replied with a shrug. "He killed them both and things didn't work out for you too well".

"What happened?" Sirius asked again a little more heatedly.

"You were my Godfather".

Sirius snorted but frowned when only more questions formed in his mind.

"If I was your Godfather then why the hell didn't I take care of you?"

"You went after the man who betrayed them and got yourself locked up until my third year".

He didn't feel the need to explain the details it could only add to the confusion and make the conversation more awkward than it had already become.

"But you came into my life and was there for me when I needed you," he continued with a fond smile.

"So why did you come back, won't future me be worried about you?"

He couldn't help but grimace at the situation, the bitter taste of the morning still fresh.

Harry couldn't look away from the steel grey eyes and knew he could not lie to the boy, he owed him that much.

"You died".

Sirius looked more than a little alarmed by this as evident by the shock on his face.

"Died? How?" he almost yelped.

"Protecting me," Harry choked. "I did something stupid and you came to save me."

Sirius could not even formulate what he wanted to say. He couldn't even fathom a reply to the revelation of his own mortality to the boy who had seen him die.

"I am sorry for everything," Harry spoke again. His voice was clearer this time but the tears in his eyes could not be mistaken for anything other than genuine.

"I just need time to get my head around this".

Harry understood and conceded with a defeated nod.

"If anyone is to blame for this its me, I asked them to keep it to themselves until I was ready".

"I know," Sirius sighed. "I just hate being kept in the dark".

The two remained silent for several minutes whilst he checked that he had packed everything he needed. It wasn't that he wanted to leave, he knew he needed to for some time to fully digest what he had learned. He was pulled from his thoughts by ha hand being placed on his shoulder. He turned to be faced by Harry who clearly had more that he wanted to say, it seemed almost painful for him to keep it in now.

"It broke me when I lost you," he whispered. "And when I knew I was coming back, it wasn't my parents or anyone else in my family I thought of seeing, it was you first".

Sirius could not doubt the honesty in either his words or eyes as he spoke.

"So we were really close then?"

Harry nodded.

"Like I said, you were the only father figure I really had".

Sirius smiled despite the raw wounds the morning had left.

"For what it's worth Padfoot, I truly am sorry and this place won't be the same without you".

"I'll be back," he promised. "Just, not yet".

With that said, he levitated the trunk and exited the room leaving a thoughtful and upset Harry in his wake. He stood for several moments wondering if the secrecy he had insisted on had been worth it. He knew at the moment he was upset by the departure of the other boy but he stood firm in his belief that keeping his true self hidden had been the right course of action. He knew that Sirius would eventually accept and get over what had happened once he had time to figure it out, but that did little alleviate the sting he was feeling now.

He made his way back to the kitchen and sat once more with his family.

"He left then?" James questioned unnecessarily.

Harry nodded.

"He will be back though, I know he will".

Sirius Black stood at the gate to Potter Manor and smiled sadly. He wanted nothing more than to just head back in and pretend the day had never happened but he knew he couldn't. He already missed them all but did not feel able to be around them until he had taken everything in and put everything into perspective, he had learnt a lot today.

He sighed as he pocketed his trunk and apparated away. It was about time he spent some time with his Grandfather after all.

(BREAK)

Andromeda Black cast the charm a final time and felt her stomach sink as the pink glow remained where her wand was pointed.

"Oh shit," she cursed.

Her parents were actually going to kill her. She needed to get out of here before they could find out.

In her panic to flee the room she ran headlong into Bellatrix who frowned at her spooked visage.

"What's wrong Andi?" She questioned with a frown.

"N-nothing," the other girl squeaked uncharacteristically.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow, seized the other girl by the wrist and pulled her into her room.

"Don't lie to me," she hissed. "You look like you've just seen a ghost".

Andromeda was visibly shaking now feeling both nervous and terrified under the glare of her sister. She didn't know what made her tell her, perhaps the nerves got the better of her or maybe, just maybe her sister would help her. All she knew was that her mouth moved before her head could prevent it.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.

Whatever she was expecting, it certainly had not been that. Bellatrix could only look between the scared eyes and stomach of her sister. A part of her was ecstatic for her, the other part fearful. She knew the father was the Tonks boy who would not get the approval of the family, adding the fact they were fresh out of school made it just that more difficult.

"Oh shit," Bellatrix muttered.

 **Well that is everything nicely set up and in the next chapter we get to see both Charlus and Arcturus in the Wizengamot and also the Dueling Championship. I will of course include some more Harry/ Bella and other things too as we go along. In the next chapter and I think we all knew that little Nymphadora would be making her appearance soon even though the canon age is different.**

 **Anyway, follow favourite and review as always guys, it is much appreciated.**

 **TBR**


	12. Summertime Pt 2

**A/N**

 **It is a long one guys…**

 **Not once have I put a disclaimer on this piece, so here it goes.**

 **I of course own nothing in regards to the Harry Potter franchise. I am nothing more than a wannabe wizard adding a few ingredients of my own to an already beautifully bubbling cauldron that I of course am only borrowing.**

Chapter 12: Summer Time Part two

It was a few days after Sirius had departed his home that found Charlus waiting in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, clad in his Wizengamot robes for the first time in many years. He frowned in remembrance at the giggling of his wife as he put on his attire that morning. Much to his consternation, the robes had been much more snug around the midriff than he remembered; he was certainly not the lithe twenty two year old he once was the last time he had worn them. He smiled fondly at the idealistic man he was in his youth. He had visions of changing the world, of being a revolutionary. That had not been the case. He had been naïve and optimistic and the reality of the proceedings had been lacking and had left a bitter taste in his mouth. It was boring, repetitive and nothing ever seemed to be changed or solved unless something monumental happened within their world. His father had warned him of this throughout the lessons in politics he had been subjected to, but Charlus had not listened. He did not believe that things were so stagnant and yet he had been proved wrong quickly. His previous career in the field had been short and rather lackluster at best. In his frustration he had simply appointed a proxy and stepped out of the political arena for what he thought was good. But things had changed over the passing months. Something needed to be done and he was now at the forefront of these desired changes.

He chuckled to himself.

Himself and Arcturus in particular had worked tirelessly to create what they now had and the moment to put into practice what they had worked for had arrived.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the arrival of the Lord Black.

"Charlus," Arcturus greeted him with a nod.

"Are we ready?" Charlus asked, the excitement clear in his eyes.

"We are," Arcturus confirmed. "I instructed the others to arrive and sit as they always have, we don't want them to think we are attempting a coup".

Charlus nodded.

"Good thinking," he observed.

The two began making their way to the lower levels of the Ministry where the meeting were held, attracting more than their fair share of stares and whispers.

"Is there any particular reason that my heir is currently residing with myself and my wife?" Arcturus questioned.

"Your heir?"

"Sirius will be the head of the family after me," Arcturus confirmed. "Orion is no politician and he agrees he should not be Lord Black".

"I imagine Walburga will be pleased," Charlus replied sarcastically.

"That sow has no say in anything," Arcturus growled. "Even Regulus is clearly tiring of her ways as he too has decided to stay with us for the summer".

Charlus raised his eyebrows at that and snorted slightly.

"Melania must be in heaven with two of them to spoil".

Arcturus demonstrated a rare smile as he nodded.

"We are both pleased to have them, though you still haven't explained why Sirius is not with you".

Charlus sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"He knows about Harry, he wasn't particularly pleased that it had been kept from him," he explained.

"I imagine not, he has never liked being kept in the dark".

"The place isn't the same without him," Charlus admitted with a drawn out breath. "We all miss him in our own ways, I just hope he doesn't hold it against us forever".

"He will be alright, but for now we have more pressing issues," Arcturus reminded him as they entered the large chamber, the majority of the seats already filled.

They strode through the room with purpose, their previous conversation pushed to the back of their minds as they adopted a businesslike, yet stoic expression. The entrance had garnered the attention of many in the room and they quickly became the subject of speculative whispering, the other family heads clearly wondering why they were there.

Those in attendance became more shocked when neither headed for the lighter families section nor the darker, but chose to take seats amongst the neutral faction together, already taking away significant impact and votes from the other blocks. Again the whispering ensued but the two men chose to ignore it in favour of taking in their surroundings.

Everything was just as each remembered from the décor to where each family head had sat previously.

"Stagnant indeed," Charlus mumbled as he began meeting the eyes of the other heads of families unflinchingly, readying himself to tear strips out of them if necessary.

Arcturus too was preparing, though he felt no need to look upon the others; they were not worth his attention unless they provoked his ire, which was an inevitably as he well knew. He looked forward to it however, and felt a small rush of anticipation, silently daring any to anger him.

The room did not have to wait long until the Minister arrived with her closest advisors in tow followed also by the chief warlock who took his seat and allowed a brief look of surprise cross his features as he noticed the Lords of Black and Potter in attendance.

Nonetheless, he banged his gavel to gather the attention of the Lords and Ladies before addressing them.

"I call to order the summer meeting of the Wizengamot year 1977," he began formally. "There are many points up for discussion today so we shall proceed immediately beginning with Lord Meadows, who has a proposal regarding the use of charmed paper instead of owls within the Ministry building".

Charlus shook his head and sunk into his chair. It was going to be a long day.

(BREAK)

Bellatrix found herself seated at the breakfast table along with her two sisters and Mother. Pollux had left early for a business meeting, which was not an unusual occurrence.

For the past few days she had spent much time with her sister in an attempt to convince not to run away and had s far managed to keep the girl level-headed though she was constantly on edge.

After several long discussions she had managed to ascertain that, as she suspected, the father of the baby was indeed Theodore Tonks, the muggleborn born Andromeda had been pursuing a relationship with. Bad news indeed for both parents as there was no doubt in Bellatrix's mind that trouble was on the horizon.

Her family could simply decide to murder the boy in an attempt to save face or even perhaps both, even though the teen was certain that her Grandfather would not allow such a reaction, he valued the blood of his family far too much but she certainly would not put it past Walburga to attempt such a thing.

She sighed at the predicament her sister found herself in. She was by no means as bigoted as the rest of the Blacks but she too felt her sister could have found a better match, one that understood what it truly was he would find himself involved in.

Druella had been watching her two eldest since they had returned from Hogwarts and she knew something was amiss. They had spent much more time than usual together holed up in either of their rooms and only came out for meals, quickly returning to whatever it was they had been doing. Although she had no evidence, her motherly intuition told her something was going on and she was growing steadily tired of the secrecy.

She placed her china cup on the saucer with a clatter, gaining the attention of her three daughters. She gave them all a penetrating stare before holding the gaze of her firstborn.

"Is there anything you wish to tell me Andromeda?" she asked casually, a little too casually for the teens liking.

Andromeda immediately looked as though she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been and glanced towards the middle sister with an accusatory glare.

Bellatrix merely shook her head, protesting her innocence in response.

Druella frowned. She now knew to whom the issue related to but was no closer to any details.

"Andromeda Black," she prompted firmly.

The girl in question merely dropped her gaze to the top of the breakfast table as though it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

"It's better you tell her Andi," Bellatrix encouraged. "It's not as though you can hide it forever".

Andromeda sighed and swallowed deeply.

"I'm pregnant," she mumbled barely audibly.

"Come again?" her mother replied.

"I'm pregnant," the girl returned a little louder.

Druella was shocked, that very emotion forming on her face. Her lips immediately became a tight line and she seemed to growl in fury.

"Are you really so stupid daughter?" she hissed.

Although the eldest Black daughter had expected such a reaction she recoiled at the venom nonetheless.

"It's not like I planned for this to happen," she bit back defensively.

Druella simply shook her head though now she looked more worried than anything else.

"Do you have any idea how your father is going to react? The rest of the family for that matter," she tried. "You have just finished school, you have no career and you are not married".

"I know," Andromeda near-wailed. "I made a mistake".

"You were careless".

"We always used a potion and a charm," the girl explained.

"So you at least know who the father is," Druella stated mockingly.

Andromeda was hurt by that and Druella immediately regretted her words.

"Do you think so little of me?"

Druella sighed and pulled the girl into a hug.

"Of course not, I'm just scared for you. You know what this will do to the family".

"I didn't mean for this to happen".

Druella just held the girl close to her. She couldn't help but feel disappointed in her but she was her daughter and she wished more than anything that she could make things okay for her.

"Have you at least spoken to the father?"

Andromeda shook her head.

"Better get to it then before father and grandfather murder him," Narcissa piped up. "He was such a nice boy," she sighed.

"Be quiet Narcissa," Druella demanded. "You will speak of this to no one".

Hearing her mother use her full name quelled her petulance and she nodded her understanding.

"You need to tell him Andi," Bellatrix broke in.

"I will".

"If only to give him a head start," she added with a chuckle.

"It's not funny Bella," her mother chastised.

Bellatrix held up her hands to placate the woman.

"I'm being serious. The fact that you are pregnant is bad enough but when they find out he's a muggleborn, he is a dead man".

"A mudblood?" Druella questioned dangerously.

When Andromeda met her gaze she could see the truth in what her middle child had said.

"Just because you managed to avoid the marriage contract your father set up, it did not give you carte blanche to cavort with the filth of society," she spat.

Andromeda was once again stricken by the demeanour of her mother.

"Just get out of my sight I need to think," she commanded her three daughters. "And you had better be prepared to face the consequences of what you have done Andromeda, I may not kill you or him but the rest of the family will not be so lenient".

The girls all but fled from the room and followed Andromeda who immediately began piling her belongings into her trunk.

"What are you doing?" Bellatrix asked.

"I'm getting out of here. I need to tell Ted and get him somewhere safe," Andromeda replied, not breaking stride in her efforts.

"Andi," Bellatrix hissed as she pulled her sister by the arm and turned her so they were face to face. "Calm down, I won't let anything happen to you or him".

"That's easy for you to say, you're not the one they are going to kill and our family isn't scared of my boyfriend".

Narcissa chuckled at that but withered under the glare of her older sisters.

"Go speak to him Andi and I will think of something to calm all of this down," Bellatrix assured her.

Andromeda offered her a weak smile before leaving.

"What are you going to do?" Narcissa asked. "They will kill him and cast her out".

Bellatrix sighed.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But maybe Harry will," she whispered to herself.

(BREAK)

Harry and James circled each other in the dueling room at Potter manor, both sweating profusely with James limping gingerly on one leg, his body battered and bruised from the onslaught he had received from the other boy. Though Harry faired much better he was breathing heavily from the broken ribs that had been James's retaliation.

He smirked knowing that the other boy was at his mercy. Instead of firing off a spell to finish off the duel in a violent manner he sent a flurry of charms and transfigurations that, in his state, was unavoidable by his father.

"Ahh," he screamed as the magic took affect.

His voice had become much higher pitched and his chest swelled with two over-exaggerated lumps. The trouser he wore became a dress as his hair lengthened considerably.

"What the hell," he squeaked before he frowned and charged the other boy, the wand in his hand all but forgotten.

Harry's eyes widened as James bulldozed towards him and knocked him off his feet. The two rolled around in a heap and began wrestling for position. Unfortunately for them, this was how Bellatrix found them.

She interrupted the pair with a cough and raised an eyebrow in amusement at the look of shock each wore at being found in this predicament.

"It's not what it looks like," Harry denied immediately.

"So you're not fighting a girl who looks a lot like your father?" she questioned.

The two boys looked sheepish at this but laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Great, I'm dating an eight year old," Bellatrix mumbled.

"I heard that," Harry replied.

"And?" Bellatrix asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Lighten up Trixie," James cut in. "It's just a bit of fun".

Bellatrix glared at the boy venomously but smiled. James did not know the nature of that particular grin and sighed in relief at dodging the metaphorical bullet. Harry however grimaced in sympathy for the boy; he knew this look well.

"Oh, I'm all for a bit of fun Potter," she cooed as she traced her wand across his jaw line. "But now is not the time".

James swallowed and chuckled nervously.

"And if you ever call me Trixie again, I will make sure Evans is a very unsatisfied woman, understood".

James nodded and breathed a sigh of relief as she removed her wand.

"And people think Dad and Harry are bright," he murmured. "The pair of them are nuts getting involved with the Blacks".

"Something to say Potter?"

"Not at all my lady," James quipped offering an elaborate bow.

Bellatrix simply stared blankly at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be earning my approval? I am his father after all," James continued, standing a little straighter and adopting a mock seriousness.

Harry face-palmed and shook his head in exasperation. James had chosen the least opportune moment for this. He was dressed as a girl and sporting a rather impressive set of breasts.

"Quit while your ahead Prongs," he advised.

Bellatrix merely looked the boy up and down and gave a disapproving tut.

"The day I need your approval Potter will be the day mine are bigger than yours," she returned, gesturing to his voluptuous chest.

Harry roared with laughter and James raised his eyebrows in appreciation at the humour.

"Damn," he muttered.

"She got you there," Harry pointed out.

"Laugh it up, you're the idiot dating her".

Harry was about to reply but was cut off by his other the aforementioned girl.

"As much as the arguing of morons amuse me, I have something I need your help with".

"What's happened?" Harry asked worriedly.

"I'll give you your space," James broke in.

"No need," Bellatrix dismissed. "It might be useful having the input of another woman".

"For Merlin's sake Harry will you get rid of these?" he demanded as the boy broke down in peels of laughter. He nonetheless summoned his wand and complied.

"Thank you," James huffed. "I was scared I might start my monthlies if I was left like that any longer".

"So what's wrong?" Harry inquired once more.

Bellatrix sighed.

"Andi is pregnant".

Harry wore a knowing smirk and his eyes twinkled in happiness as fond memories of the pink haired auror came to the forefront of his mind. James however looked shocked and shook his head in understanding.

"They'll kill him," he interjected knowingly.

Bellatrix ignored him for the moment in favour of narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend.

"What do you know?"

"I'm not going to ruin the surprise," he replied firmly. "It's a good one," he assured the girl who was now flaring her nostrils at him.

"Harry, this is serious, I don't know what to do," she returned desperately.

Harry dragged a hand through his hair as he attempted to remember everything he could about Tonks. He knew that Andromeda had fled her family and was cast out, but that was it. He didn't have any other knowledge on the situation.

"Your Grandfather would be your best hope," he mused. "I think I can make him see sense, it will at least not get them killed".

"Thank you," she replied gratefully, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

Harry just grinned stupidly.

"You had better do it soon though," he warned. "The sooner the better".

Bellatrix nodded.

"I'll speak to Andi, but you will have to be there just in case he tries to kill her".

"He won't, but I will be there," he promised.

Bellatrix simply kissed him again and smiled.

"Ahh, young love," James piped up.

Harry fired a stinging hex towards the boy who yelped and hightailed it from the room as quickly as his legs would carry him in their injured state.

"So you only came to see me so I could save your sisters arse?" Harry asked.

Bellatrix shook her head and smiled.

"I missed you," she stated bluntly.

Harry found himself grinning again as he melted into another kiss, content to just spend some much needed time with the girl.

(BREAK)

The morning had dragged for both Arcturus and Charlus who had endured a debate on charmed paper and also the correct disposal of used quills. Such subjects did nothing but grate on their already fraying nerves and each were reminded why they had left the politicking behind them all those years ago.

"If I wanted to be so bored out of my skull I would discuss the finer points of Warlburga's social gatherings," Arcturus muttered, causing Charlus to snort in amusement.

"Just be grateful we aren't discussing the correct thickness of cauldron bottoms, what a waste of nine hours that was," he deadpanned.

Arcturus grimaced. He remembered that day very well and was certain that it had been the cause of his first grey hair appearing.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the two were offered a reprieve in the form of Dumbledore banging his gavel once more to bring the discussion to an end.

"We have one final bill to discuss," he announced. "Lord Bole would like to introduce amendments to decree 114/g, in regards to sanctions placed on those suffering with Lycanthropy," he continued with a disapproving look towards the man. "Lord Bole, you may proceed".

Said man stood tall and proud as his looked upon his colleagues, his countenance exuding confidence and eagerness. He cleared his throat as he flipped through a few pages of parchment before speaking in a well-rehearsed manner.

"My fellow Lords and Ladies," he began with a slight bow, meeting the eyes of a few within the room. "It is more often than not that we find ourselves at odds within these very walls when we are discussing ways in which to better our society. Our views and beliefs differ on many agendas be it something as trivial as owl use within the Ministry or something of detriment, such as what spells we can and cannot use," he continued diplomatically. "However, there is one thing I can state with complete certainty we all agree on and that is the safety of our loved ones taking precedence over all else".

There were some murmurs of agreement at that and the man paused to let them pass.

"With that being said there is something that must be addressed, something that has recently been plaguing our community and something that is an imminent threat to us all and those we care for".

He reached down and placed a briefcase on the desk in front of him, snapped it open and removed a stack of newspapers.

"Within the last month there has been an alarming increase in werewolf attacks. Swindon, Reading, Hull and Oxford have all been struck by these creatures, wreaking havoc and leaving many either dead or turned in their wake".

He placed a corresponding report of each attack on his desk as he listed off the locations one by one.

"Clearly the restrictions we have placed on the beasts are no longer sufficient and now further action is required. I offer praise to our Department of Magical Law Enforcement for their efforts, but why waste resources on apprehending these creatures when the majority of such an issue can be dealt with a few simple amendments to current laws?" he questioned.

"And what is it you would suggest?" Dumbledore questioned with a frown.

"An excellent question Chief Warlock," Bole praised with a forced smile. "I recommend that we impose much stricter control on their movements, what jobs they can take and most importantly a publically available register so that information on where sufferers dwell is at hand".

Arcturus swore under his breath.

"He wants the public to target them and turf them out," he whispered.

Charlus nodded his agreement.

"They run away, have nowhere to go and turn to the one person promising to help them," he deduced.

"Exactly," Arcturus concurred.

As previously discussed amongst the new allies, it was Francis Longbottom Sr that stood first to address the proposed amendments.

"I can understand and appreciate your concerns Lord Bole," he began with a bow. "But surely what you are suggesting would be counterproductive in the circumstances".

His counterpart merely frowned but did not reply.

"The sanctions on them are oppressive enough, if we add to these further then we will only alienate them more so and give them further reason to attack".

"I agree with Lord Longbottom," Fenton McKinnon declared as he rose from his seat. "There is already plenty of sanctions on them in regards to available work, anything else would make even more of an enemy of sufferers".

"So you would just allow these attacks to continue at the risk of your loved ones?" Bole questioned both men heatedly.

"There hasn't been a spate of werewolf attacks in over a decade since Greyback left our shores," Longbottom returned. "There is not an alpha strong enough to command nor leads the packs. So something else is clearly afoot".

"Are you actually suggesting that these attacks are organized?" Bole asked disbelievingly, his voice taking on a nervous edge.

"That is exactly what is happening," Arcturus broke in as he stood.

Most within the room were more than a little surprised to see the Lord Black agreeing with McKinnon and Longbottom over Bole. The man waited patiently for the whispers to die down before he continued.

"Albeit for me to do the job of our aurors but I have looked into the matter with quite a lot of vigour, it is after all a rather alarming chain of events," he added smoothly.

"And what is it that you have discovered Lord Black?" Dumbledore inquired, his eyes twinkling in their usual manner.

Arcturus sneered slightly at the man but fought the bile down at the thought of actually siding with him.

"I would like to firstly turn our attention to the attack on Hogsmeade that occurred earlier this year".

"Unrelated and irrelevant, Black," Lord Yaxley spat. "It has already been determined that the events of that day transpired because Potters' children and your family members murdered some protesters who had only aimed to create a little discord within the village".

Arcturus smirked evilly at the man.

"Well the memories of my Nephews, grandson and granddaughters paint a very different picture Yaxley. Each one of them would be more than happy to provide them as evidence is necessary," he replied venomously.

"I believe we are quickly getting off topic," Dumbledore interjected. "Is there a point to this Lord Black?"

"Of course," he bit back irritably. "The trespassers on the village were all dressed in black robes, each one adorning a white mask, correct?"

"That is an established fact," Dumbledore agreed. "But what of it?"

"Well upon my investigation into these attacks I happened across a few witnesses who had quite the interesting memories to view, may I?" he inquired as he removed a few vials from within his robes.

Dumbledore waved him forward and sat back, waiting for the man to present the memories to the room.

Bole and his associates did not look impressed by this unexpected turn of events, the former gritting his teeth in fury.

Arcturus approached Barty Crouch and handed him the memories.

"I believe as the head of the DMLE it is within your job description to ascertain the accuracy of memories and ascertain that they have not been tampered with," he stated questioningly.

Crouch mutely nodded before accepting the vials. He drew his wand and began casting spells on the glass in a murmur. Each of them glowed a gentle blue and the man nodded, satisfied they were indeed genuine.

"I will let the memories speak for themselves," Arcturus announced as he approached the pensieve, emptied the contents in and tapped the side with his wand.

The memory began in a darkened room, the full moon pouring in through the window. It was a peaceful night with only the sound of light traffic being heard from outside. That peace was broken however by the unearthly howl of a wolf, followed by around a dozen more. What made the noise much more harrowing was the fact that wolves are no longer native in Britain, so the sound of such creatures in close proximity was equally confusing and worrying. An eerie silence fell once more as the beasts fell silent though a sense of trepidation and anticipation ensued in its wake.

A piercing female scream was the next disturbance to be heard from somewhere in the distance setting the tone of the night even more so. The first gave way to more screams, each varying in pitch and indication. Some were those of terror, others born of pain and suffering. What was clear however was that a massacre was taking place.

The scene changed somewhat and the view outside the window became available. They could be heard before they came into view. Deep snarling and howls, much closer this time were heard quickly followed by the padding of heavy feet as the beasts drew closer. The first came into view but it was not the creature that had those viewing the memory confused. The beast appeared to be being directed by an individual in a black as night robe, the adorned white mask the only thing that truly confirmed the human presence.

More and more followed suit and soon the memory was full of werewolves and cloaked figures that were adding their own mix of mayhem to the chaos. Spells erupted from their wands as they allowed the beasts entrance to the homes of the innocents with blasting curses and tumultuous cheers as each occupant was met with baying, snarling and blood-dripping jaws before they too were claimed.

Mercifully it was a few moments later that a reprieve came in the form of appearing men and women in red robes.

"Aurors," one roared as the group began going house to house further up the street to begin the morbid tallying of those fallen.

By the time they had reached the final house, the werewolves had disappeared into the night, those in the black cloaks too leaving no evidence that they were ever there.

The memory ended and many in the room were visibly pale and shaken by what they had seen. It did not escape the notice of many that Bole and his associates were whispering furiously amongst themselves.

"Shall we continue with the next one?" Arcturus asked coldly.

Dumbledore stood and shook his head.

"I do not believe that is necessary Lord Black, I think you have made your point sufficiently".

Arcturus bowed to the man and returned to his seat.

"Bloody hell Arcturus, was that really necessary?" Charlus whispered.

"Yes," he replied bluntly. "They need to understand what it is we are dealing with".

The room had fallen into quite the solemn silence, those in attendance trying to process what they had just witnessed

Arcturus knew that his move had been risky but he felt that the risk was necessary. They needed to see that if Bole were to be listened to then they would only be bolstering the numbers of the Dark Lord, ensuring that attacks like this would only become more common and ferocious.

"As you all saw for yourself, this was not the act of an independent werewolf pack. This was orchestrated and carried out by wizards, a group of wizards who are responsible for the death of eleven children during the Hogsmeade attack," Arcturus spoke again.

His words were met with a wall of silence, each Lord and Lady to contemplating what it was they had seen.

"If we add to the already oppressive laws we will merely be giving them further reason to side with the Dark Lord and these attacks will only increase and become even more disastrous," he finished with a resolute nod.

"Then what do you suggest Lord Black?" Edgar Bones demanded.

"We make appropriate overtures to Lycanthropy sufferers".

A cacophony of noise erupted at his statement. Many were clearly not in agreement with the man but he nonetheless held up a hand, commanding silence so that he could elaborate.

"We now have a potion available to us that can alleviate their transformations. Make this readily procurable to them, give them some damn job prospects and stop pissing on them from a great height and most of the problem is solved".

"And you expect these beasts to simply accept this and fall into line," Lord Rookwood spat.

"Not all of them," Arcturus admitted. "But the majority will. They want nothing more than an opportunity to live as normally as possible and this cannot happen with laws that have been in place for hundreds of years".

He sighed before continuing once more.

"These laws were put in place to supposedly protect us. Now we have something that can give us this protection but the werewolves will not accept this unless we give them a reason to," he pointed out. "Give them a fair shake to earn a living and be at peace and I can promise that not only will they at least remain neutral we will no longer have to cower in fear at the full moon when it arrives each month".

"And what about the ones that do not accept?" Crouch Sr growled.

"Then they should be treated the same way any murderer should, either locked up in Azkaban for the rest of their days or thrown through the veil".

A few nods agreement followed this statement.

"Dark Lords have thrived on the laws in place to oppress the werewolves. They have used them to their advantage and if we make the amendments I have suggested, then we are once and for all taking away a powerful ally of them. I am not saying they will align with us; it would be foolish to think so. But neutral packs of mostly human but potentially dangerous creatures serve no purpose as enemies".

A small smattering of applause was heard as the man took his seat once more, breathing a sigh of relief that many could see his point of view.

"They are disgusting beasts that should be put to death for their crimes," the voice of Lady Danvers screeched.

Arcturus stood once more and glared at the woman.

"Then perhaps we should all be thrown through the veil for the crimes that a minority of witches and wizards are currently committing Lady Danvers," he stated icily.

The woman began sputtering incoherently but was cut off by Charlus.

"You are tarring them all with one brush Lady Danvers. You yourself saw that it was only a dozen or so that carried out that attack. Where were the other hundreds of sufferers? More than likely in a barred room somewhere ensuring that they could not attack innocent people".

He shook his head dispassionately at the woman and those who seemed to agree with her.

"Most sufferers are not born with the condition but have been turned at some point in their life either by a careless werewolf or one who had purposely put them self in a position to carry out such a thing," he explained knowingly. "These people are not looking to turn others, to have other innocents experience the horrific nature of their disease so they plan accordingly and take appropriate measures to ensure that that does not happen".

Lady Danvers gave him a resentful look but sat down.

"I believe that Lord Black speaks sense," Charlus clarified. "Even if we trial these proposals for a time, I believe his words will ring true".

"I think that the idea of a trial holds merit," Lord Greengrass agreed. "At worse, we can reconvene at a later date and certainly discuss it further if necessary, this is rather a bold move we would be making. "I don't think a permanent decision can be made without evidence of positive results".

Charlus offered the man a nod of thanks.

"And what would be wrong with provisionally attempting the proposal of Lord Bole?" Abraxus Malfoy questioned irritably.

"It is the responsibility of the Wizengamot to make progress in our world where possible as it is the responsibility of our potioneers and masters in all fields to do so equally," Lord Meadows returned. "What Lord Bole's proposal represents is regression and regression is not what we aim for in our capacity as Lords and Ladies of our land".

"I didn't expect Meadows to back us like that," Charlus muttered.

"He is Dumbledore's man and he has made his view quite obvious," Arcturus replied.

Charlus chuckled.

"I bet you never thought you'd see the day that you were here and championing something that the old goat would agree to".

Arcturus grimaced.

"You hate the man even more than I," Arcturus retorted.

"True," Charlus acknowledged. "But I unfortunately find myself agreeing with him more than I care to admit whereas you will always disagree with him purely out of principal," he pointed out smugly.

Arcturus shook his head.

"Shut up Charlus," he grumbled.

The vote went ahead and resulted in the trial being granted, though the minor details would all have to be hashed out and agreed upon. But the day had been a victory for Charlus, Arcturus and their allies, much to their delight of course. With the meeting quickly drawn to an end the Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot disbanded, some in much better spirit than others. The most poignant point now was to decide which of Bole or his own allies would break the bad news to their Lord. The man expected good results from the day and would be furious that it had not come to be.

(BREAK)

Severus Snape sighed as he eyed the card that Lucius Malfoy had left on his desk during his visit. He had spent countless hours contemplating the mans' offer but was no nearer to making a decision on what he himself wanted to do. Lucius had of course made salient points during their talk and Severus could not help but be tempted by the prospect of access to potions and knowledge he would be denied should he decline the opportunity before him. He was however aware that Lucius was a very smooth and silver-tongued man who at no point made any guarantees during the course of his time with the younger teen and Severus Snape could not be swayed by words that held no promise.

The clock on his desk read 13:55 and Severus shook himself from his thoughts.

Although the words of a Malfoy had to be taken with a pinch of salt that did not abate the curiosity that Severus was feeling however. He had heard of the power that the Dark Lord wielded from several members of his house and he had seen for himself the devastation the man wrought in the Daily Prophet. To be apart of such a movement held a certain appeal for the greasy teenager but he couldn't quite figure out why. Was it the fact that he felt the need to prove himself to his peers that had mostly shunned or the very least looked down upon him because of his blood status? Was it that he did not want to limited in what he was allowed to study? Or was it the very fact that Severus Snape felt that he had nothing to lose any longer now that his one beacon in life had turned away from him?

He could not be at all sure what made him reach for that card when the hour struck but he did so anyway knowing that if he did not grasp the opportunity now, it may never have presented itself again.

After the sensation of the portkey ended he found himself in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse of sorts. Before he could truly take in his surroundings however he was pulled from his observations by a gruff voice.

"Card," the man demanded simply.

Severus handed it over and waited whilst the man seemed to expect it. After only a moment he nodded, clearly satisfied the boy had been invited.

"You will wear this hood and submit your wand to me," the man demanded as he handed Severus a black hood with a plain white mask for a face.

He frowned. He did not like the idea of submitting his only form of defense.

The man feeling his discomfort placed a hand on his shoulder before speaking once more.

"You are among friends here," he assured him. "Taking your wands is merely precautionary and it will be returned to you once you leave," he promised.

Severus nodded his understanding before reluctantly handing his wand over, immediately feeling vulnerable without it.

"Nobody is allowed their wand whilst they meet the master for the first time, only he himself will carry his," the man added.

Severus again nodded.

"You are to proceed through the door behind me and for now tell no one your name," the man continued. "Our anonymity is paramount until your membership is accepted and this will only happen if you prove your worth, is that understood?"

"Indeed," Severus replied.

"Good, you now may make your way through," the stranger granted.

After being dismissed by the man he made his way through the aforementioned door to find himself in a much more intimate setting, well as intimate as can be for around fifty people wearing similar attire to himself. A few within the group were mingling and having discussions in hushed whispers but the majority had erred on the side of caution and kept themselves isolated as Severus had decided to do.

It was not such a long wait to endure before a door on the other side of the room opened to reveal the man that had been plaguing the headlines for a number of weeks now. Just as tall but more imposing than Severus imagined, he seemed to glide into the room effortlessly, his face devoid of any emotion and his red eyes scanning everyone present, each feeling a chill down their spine as they were found by them.

It did not seem possible for this man to smile, but he defied the expectations of those gathered with a broad one as he gestured them all closer. It was with a slight hesitance that they did so but they seemed to automatically obey in spite of the nervousness felt within the room.

"There is nothing to fear my friends," Voldemort assured them, his smile still present.

A little of the trepidation seemed to evaporate as the man spoke in a gentle almost benign voice and the guests moved forward with a little more confidence than they had previously felt.

"Now I am sure you are all wondering why you are here?" he questioned rhetorically. "Well I will tell you," he answered before any could even consider doing so. "You have all been chosen because each of you have something to offer to our cause. You have been chosen because you are amongst the brightest and most powerful of your peers and you have all been chosen because you are reliable and people that myself and my associates believe can be trustworthy".

He slowly walked a circle around the gathered witches and wizards giving the occasional nod of approval to some as he passed.

"Amongst you now stand our future politicians, our future potion masters and those that would stand at the forefront of the new world we will create," he spoke again passionately.

"What is in it for us?" a voice called out. "Our own futures are almost assured so why would we rock the boat whilst we can live in what we have with ease?"

The Dark Lord appeared mildly annoyed by the voice but his expression remained neutral.

"I can offer you knowledge that would never be made available to you, I can offer you the opportunity to further your wealth and influence. But most importantly I can offer you the honour of standing above even the names of your great families, leaving all of your ancestors and predecessors in your shadow as you stand atop a new world, a world in which you have helped create".

"And what is the catch for such honour?" the same voice questioned.

Voldemort smiled.

"The only thing I ask of you is to devote yourself to the cause. Make yourself and your skills available to me when they are needed and for such devotion, the rewards will be spectacular".

Severus nodded along with many of the others. The Dark Lord was doing a more than adequate job at selling himself to those gathered.

Before Voldemort could continue with his spiel, the door he entered from opened once more revealing an individual dressed all in black with a silver mask. He approached the Dark Lord and bowed low before whispering in his ear. Whatever the news was clearly displeased the man as his eyes narrowed in unbridled fury. He quickly schooled his features once more when he became aware that his guests were watching with rapt attention.

He nodded a few times and dismissed the now cowering man with a wave of his hand before addressing them once more.

"I apologise my friends something of paramount detriment has arisen and it requires my immediate attention," he sighed. "I would very much like to continue this meeting soon, but please use the time wisely and consider what it is we have discussed today".

There were more than a few nods and murmurs of agreements as the man rose.

"Your wands can be retrieved the way you came in and the same portkeys will be provided to you. They will take you to a new location two days from now at the same time," he explained.

He then made his way from the room leaving his new potential recruits behind.

"He makes a fine argument," one spoke up once the door had closed behind the man.

"He does," another agreed.

"Then we shall have to return as asked to see," a third shrugged.

Severus remained silent.

He could reluctantly admit that the man had indeed come forth with a convincing vitriol but the actions of the man that had interrupted set the seeds of doubt within him. He had no intention or ambition to become a cowering sycophant. He was Severus Snape and he bowed to no man especially when the cons outweighed the pros. He was not from a family of importance and nor was he one who cared for riches. He wanted to be the best potions master he could be but he would not sell himself into slavery to do so.

No, Severus Snape was not at all convinced to don a black robe and mask in the name of a man who could offer him next to nothing, but he knew a simple rejection would not be so easy. Most of those within his house would become one of those men and pressure would be applied to those not willing or they would become targets of their ire.

Severus shook his head as the portkey returned him to his room.

He was a Slytherin after all and his sense of self-preservation was crying out for him to join against the protests of his thought process. All he could be certain of was, that here and now, he didn't know what it was he should do.

Should he remain true to himself at the risk of becoming targeted? Or should he bend the knee and just hope he could leave himself unimportant enough to not be required all too often?

He sighed as he sat at his desk and contemplated his options. Whatever the choice, he knew that his life would change uncomfortably. All that he had to decide was how uncomfortable it would become and how long such a discomfort would last.

(BREAK)

Lord Voldemort stormed from the room in a towering temper. Not only had Bole and the rest of his men failed to secure the opportunity for further recruitment amongst the werewolves, the fool had the audacity to bring him the news whilst speaking to the potential new recruits.

" _Crucio,"_ he spat, aiming his wand at the man as his rage got the better of him.

The man slumped to ground in a twitching, screaming mess just praying that his master would relent from the onslaught. After what felt an eternity, the spell was released and Bole panted heavily, his mouth oozing blood from where he had bitten into his tongue.

"You are a fool Bole and my patience has truly been tested with you," Voldemort hissed. "Black and his cohorts will pay for what they have done when the time is right, but you Bole, will atone for your crimes immediately".

Before the man could even whimper in protest he was once more subjected to the torture of his master. This time he couldn't be sure how long it lasted. All he knew was that he lost consciousness and that when he woke, his master was gone and he could barely walk without leaning heavily on the wall for assistance.

(BREAK)

It was a couple of weeks later that Lily joined the Potters at their home for the remainder of the summer as planned, though much to James's chagrin she had been given a separate bedroom from his own. Thankfully, the permit for the wards had been approved and the Potter parents along with Arcturus had placed adequate protections around the Evans home as they had collected her. It had only taken a brief explanation to the girls parents to convince them to allow such measures and the charmed ring had not been needed much to the relief of everyone.

Harry was in the training room working on his strict duel etiquette, much to his own annoyance at having to do such thing. It wasn't until he had read the rules of the tournament itself did he realise how inhibited he would be. Much of his spells could not be used due to the nature of them and there had been a blanket ban on the use of mind arts and family magic. Essentially, any edge he would hold over the competition had been voided and he would have to rely on his pure dueling skill, which he himself would freely admit was very limited. The only 'formal' training he had received had been from Lockhart during his second year and it was unanimously agreed that it was useless.

Charlus however had helped him along the way with several mock duels and advice where he felt the boy would need it, leaving Harry feeling much more confident than he would be without it. He now felt that he stood a fair chance in doing well. His instincts were on point and his speed and stamina were above and beyond any he had dueled thus far. But he was not delusional. He knew that he would be up against the very best each respective country had to offer. Regardless of this, he was very much looking forward to the challenge. He saw it as a solid practice for when the real thing would come along, which it undoubtedly would.

He was working through some of his spell chains when the door opened and he was practically assaulted by a red female who seemed to attempt to squeeze the life out of him.

"Bloody hell Lily, I do need to breathe," he wheezed.

The girl pulled away blushing a little as she smiled at him.

"Merlin knows what you did to that idiot when you saw him," he muttered as James entered the room.

"Nothing that a little skele-gro won't fix," James replied happily.

Lily swatted him on the arm but giggled nonetheless.

"What are you working on?" she asked Harry.

"Just a few spell chains for the tournament. You wouldn't believe the stupid rules they've introduced," he grumbled.

"I guess they want to bring the death toll down," James mused aloud. "It's been pretty high the last few decades".

"More than likely," Harry agreed.

"Show me what you're working on," Lily requested.

Harry nodded and once again began firing strings of spells.

"Instead of a stunner after the leg-locker, why not use a shield-breaker first? It would fit nicely in between," Lily suggested after watching him for a few moments.

Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Not a bad idea," he observed. "And after the breaker I could use a bludgeoner aimed at the legs. If the locker misses that'll do nicely and even if it lands then it's pretty certain to break at least one of their legs".

James shook his head.

"You're quite a sadist aren't you," he chuckled.

"Must be a genetic thing," Harry returned with a grin.

The trio spent a large portion of the afternoon working on spell chains that could be used during the tournament and only came to stop when Bellatrix arrived.

She gave Harry a passionate kiss as she came in, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Black," Lily greeted her stiffly.

"Evans," the girl replied evenly, not acknowledging her with a look.

James and Harry simply shook their heads at the pair.

For whatever reason, not known to any of their group of friends, Lily and Bellatrix just did not get along which was quite the surprise to Harry. Both were exceedingly talented and bright witches but it seemed that neither was willing to try to even get along. Surprisingly it had been Lily to exhibit an aloof and even cold front towards the other girl and Bellatrix gave the same in response.

"How about we go and see what's for dinner," James suggested as he led Lily from the room.

The girl said nothing but nodded her agreement.

"I don't understand what your problem with Lily is," Harry sighed once the couple had left.

"My problem?" Bellatrix questioned heatedly. "She is the one with the attitude, I didn't start it".

Harry shook his head.

"I know, but she is an important person to me Bella, please just try to get along with her".

Bellatrix huffed a little but nodded.

"You're lucky I know she is your mother," she whispered as she melted into his arms. "A girl could be very jealous at your closeness if not".

Harry chuckled.

"Aww, I didn't know you were the jealous type," he teased.

Bellatrix turned her nose up at him.

"I do not share," she said bluntly. "I would cause a lot of suffering to any who would try to take what's mine and if you were to even entertain such a thing, I would take these," she threatened as she gave him a less than comfortable squeeze in the nether regions.

Harry grimaced but she thankfully released him quickly.

"You know I think the general opinion about the Blacks is right," he muttered. "You're all insane," he accused jokingly.

Bellatrix responded by kissing his jaw line tenderly.

"Of course we are," she agreed. "But that is one of the things you like about me".

Harry just grinned stupidly in response. A big part of him liked the possessiveness of the girl and both knew that neither would stray, it was just not in the nature of either.

"Andi has agreed that we will speak to Grandfather tonight," Bellatrix whispered.

Harry nodded.

"You do realise that this is going to be a shit storm".

"I know," Bellatrix whispered. "But it's better to get it done now than later".

"Let's have dinner first and then we will get her," he suggested.

She nodded her agreement.

"It's going to be a long night," she sighed in response.

(BREAK)

"Do you have some kind of problem with Bellatrix?" James asked as he exited the room with Lily in tow.

Lily huffed slightly.

"No, not really," She denied. "I just don't think she's right for Harry".

"Not right for him?"

Lily shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't know James, I just can't help but think he can do better".

James chuckled as he led her towards the kitchen.

"You do realise that she is just as intelligent as you and just as talented," he stated.

Lily simply glared at him causing him to raise a hand.

"Everyone can see that they are happy together, why can't you?"

"I can't really explain it, it just seems like he's too young to be in a relationship like that," she whispered.

James laughed causing her glare to intensify.

"He is the same age as we are," he pointed out.

"I know that James," she growled. "It's just the way I feel, I can't help it".

James pulled her into a hug as he nodded understandably. He had noticed since Harry arrived that Lily would fret about him and without realising it, fuss over him and such. He found it rather endearing of course but it frustrated him also knowing that she was his mother and was unknowingly acting like it.

" _One day she will hopefully know the truth,"_ he sighed internally.

(BREAK)

For the past week and a half Severus Snape had felt a sense of paranoia seep in. It had all begun the afternoon in which he was supposed to attend a second meeting with the Dark Lord but had ultimately decided against doing so.

He had his dreams and ambition just as anyone else did but the majority of his ambition would not be fulfilled by subjecting himself to the whims of the man. He was more than capable of achieving what he desired on his own merit and with his own hard work. He certainly did not need to join an extremist group who would look down on him to do so.

He knew that he had made his life more difficult than it had always been but he was hopeful that keeping a neutral stance would aide him in avoiding the wrath of the Dark Lord and his followers, particularly those still at Hogwarts. The hope within him was small however. He knew that should it come to light that he rejected the offered opportunity then he would be a martyr within his house and could possibly even be branded an enemy.

He knew that the coming months would be telling and he would have to keep his wits about him. If he sensed himself in danger or even felt it approaching then he would take any necessary action to prevent it. There were other schools after all if the worst were to happen, but he was praying that it wouldn't come to that.

He didn't want to be forced to leave his home but he was more than willing to do so should such action save his life, the one thing he held on to most dearly.

(BREAK)

Harry, Bellatrix and a very apprehensive Andromeda arrived at the home of Arcturus Black, a hushed but furious conversation taking place between the trio. Although Andromeda had initially agreed to tell her Grandfather about the situation, it was clear that she was now having second thoughts. It had taken Bellatrix's threat of stunning her and levitating her to the house of her grandparents to quell much of her reluctance, though that did not stop her switching from cursing her sibling under her breath to attempting to psyche herself up for the inevitable explosion that was coming.

Harry was the least nervous of the teens. He was well aware that Arcturus would not take the news well. He did however believe that he could calm the man sufficiently to at least think rationally about the situation. It did help of course that he had knowledge of what the child would become and he could certainly use that as a powerful tool to abate the man.

They were sat, waiting in an informal reception room for the man to make his appearance after being allowed entry by one of the house elves. It was a few anxious minutes later that the man himself entered the room and gestured for the three to follow him. They found themselves in his personal study, a cosy room taken up mostly by an ornate mahogany desk. A few shelves of books adorned the green coloured walls and the floor was covered in a dark grey carpet.

Arcturus took his seat behind the desks and invited the teens to do the same opposite him.

"As much as I love having a visit from the family, something tells me this isn't a social call," he stated as his gaze switched between the three.

Both Harry and Bellatrix looked towards Andromeda expectantly but the girl seemed to have frozen in place. Her usually pale skin had paled further and her eyes were wide in fear as she met the stare of her grandfather. Bellatrix dug her in the ribs with an elbow achieving nothing more than the girl next to her starting to tremble violently.

The move did not go unnoticed by the older man and he continued to stare at the girl with a penetrating gaze waiting for her to speak. When her silence continued he shook his head and sighed.

"Are you so frightened of me that you can't tell me what's wrong?" he asked.

Andromeda managed a slight nod.

"Has somebody hurt you?"

She shook her head in response.

"Have you done something illegal?"

She again shook her head.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me," he pointed out.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered after a moment of further silence.

The temperature of the room seemed to drop immediately as the words were uttered. Arcturus shot to his feet and began pacing back and forth, pausing occasionally to glare at his granddaughter.

Harry could sense the man's magic reacting with his temper and he quickly ushered both girls outside and placed a silencing charm on the door. He turned to face Arcturus once more who had managed to turn a deep puce colour and large vein told of his apoplectic rage he was barely containing.

"Arcturus," Harry called firmly.

The man turned his glare upon him and growled. It was as though a wild beast was possessing him.

"You need to calm down," Harry continued. "If you let your anger get the better of you now, you will regret it".

"Regret it?" the man hissed in reply. "The girl has gotten herself pregnant outside of wedlock. I never even considered she could be so foolish".

Harry dragged a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You once told me that you see me as an equal, correct?"

Arcturus nodded begrudgingly.

"Then you need to listen to me because if you don't then you will lose her, I can promise you that. She is going to have this baby regardless of whether you offer your support and I know for a fact that all three of your granddaughters mean the world to you. The last thing you want is for your moment of anger to ruin what you have with her".

Arcturus took a deep breath and deflated visibly.

"The scandal this will cause will be sensational," he grumbled. "Not just from outside there," he spat as he pointed out of the window, "But within the family too".

"And when have you ever cared about what lesser families think?"

"I don't," the older man denied.

"Then the only worry you have is dealing with the family members that will potentially be a problem".

Arcturus nodded.

"Warlburga and Pollux," he growled.

"Warlburga most definitely," Harry agreed. "Pollux has hopefully learnt his lesson from last time".

Arcturus shook his head.

"The man is a hotheaded idiot, but I can control him if necessary. Walburga just cannot shut up at the best of times," he grumbled.

"Well from what I can see she has no say in anything and if she attempts anything against your wishes then the old cow will be dealt with," Harry supplied threateningly.

"What a fucking mess," Arcturus returned.

Harry nodded his agreement.

"Andromeda made a mistake, but trust me on this Arcturus, that child will be a credit to yourself and your family".

"What do you know Harry?" the man questioned with an accusatory glare.

The boy snorted in reply.

"You must have figured out by now that I am a half-blood," he stated.

Arcturus frowned.

"I had my suspicions," he allowed.

"And you can see what I have achieved and how powerful I am?" he continued without modesty.

Arcturus gave an impassive shrug not quite catching on.

" Then imagine what could happen if the inbreeding of the Blacks' was somewhat cleansed somewhere down the line".

Arcturus glared at him venomously.

"Are you saying that she has been gallivanting with mudbloods?" he roared, his fury boiling over once more.

Harry shot the man a stony glare of his own.

"My mother is what you would call a mudblood," he hissed in reply.

"This cannot be happening," the man whispered, ignoring the anger of the boy.

"Well it is," Harry confirmed bluntly. "And if you don't want to push your granddaughter away for good then you need to accept it".

The older man placed his hands over his face and huffed tiredly.

"I am only trying to help you and her," Harry broke in once more. "And as I said, that child will be a credit to you. I had the pleasure of meeting and spending some time with them in my own time and you should be damn proud that you have the opportunity to be there from the start".

"This is difficult for me, Harry," the man mumbled. "I was raised in a time that purebloods married other purebloods and they only had children when they were married. This is not something I know how to deal with," he admitted.

"Then just be there for her Arcturus," Harry advised. "Just do the best you can by her as you always have and I can promise that you will not regret it".

Arcturus nodded.

"I will try," he finally agreed. "But it won't be easy".

"That's all I ask of you".

Arcturus shook his head.

"Why is it that ever since you arrived here that my life has become considerably more stressful?" he asked with a frown marring his features.

Harry offered the man a grin.

"I seem to have a tendency to attract trouble, I always have," he returned with a shrug.

Arcturus merely sighed.

"Can you be trusted not to start throwing curses if I go and get her?"

The man glared at the younger and shook his head.

"I daresay that even if I attempted it yourself and Bellatrix would stop me".

Harry laughed as he opened the door and gestured for the two girls to re-enter the room.

Andromeda was still shaking and very pale as she tentatively crossed the threshold.

Arcturus noting the still prevalent fear in her eyes swept across the room and pulled her in to a tight hug that the girl sagged into gratefully.

"I'm not going to pretend that I am not angry or disappointed in you," he began honestly. "But I love you and you are my granddaughter".

The girl swallowed deeply and nodded her understanding.

"How far along are you?" he asked.

"Only a few weeks I think," she replied quietly.

Arcturus nodded.

"Then we have some time to make necessary preparations," he mused. "And I still have to meet this boy and make sure he is up to the task of caring for you and a child".

"I'm sure he is," Harry interjected as he gave Andromeda a wink.

"For now, keep this between us," Arcturus advised. "Does your Mother know?"

"And Cissy, but neither will say anything," Andromeda answered.

"Keep it that way. I will have to do a lot of damage control with this but I will make sure you are alright, no matter what," he promised.

"Thank you," the girl replied as tears of relief made their way down her cheeks.

"Now, are you ready for the tournament Harry?"

"As ready as I'm going to be," the boy answered.

Arcturus smirked.

"Now if it is not too much trouble, I have things I need to do," he stated dismissively.

"So does Andi, she has a boy to go and scare the life out of," Bellatrix replied with a smirk.

The girl simply paled once more as the reality of breaking the news to Ted set in.

(BREAK)

Since leaving the Potter property and arriving at the home of his grandparents, Sirius Black had surprisingly been enjoying his summer. His homework had already been completed and he spent much of his time either on his broom or visiting with Marlene. The only real bad point for him had been when he learnt that Regulus would be spending the summer at the house too, but it was big enough that they barely came into contact with one another, much to his relief. They only spoke at the dinner table and that was only to exchange pleasantries that were expected of them by Arcturus and Melania. Other than this, it seemed that both of the Black teens were content with pretending that the other did not exist, as they had for several years now.

However, as much fun as he was having here he could not help but miss the Potters, despite how upset and angry he was with them. He couldn't help but dwell on the thoughts of what they would all be doing this summer, whether that was playing quidditch, making jokes at the breakfast table or just spending time with both Harry and James. The truth was that Sirius missed them all dearly and he had no doubt that things would work out, he just couldn't find it in himself to forgive them yet, no matter how much he wanted to.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a gentle knocking at his door. Dinner had already passed and he frowned as he approached the door wondering why he would be disturbed at this time. His frown only deepened when he came face to face with his younger brother.

"Yes?" he questioned coldly.

The younger boy sighed.

"Could I speak to you?"

Sirius allowed the boy into the room and he folded his arms expectantly.

"How did you do it?" Regulus asked.

Sirius shook his head.

"Do what?" he returned in confusion.

"How did you manage to get away from mum and her madness?"

Sirius chuckled darkly.

"She has hated me the moment I was sorted into Gryffindor," he reminded the other boy.

Regulus nodded.

"She writes to me every day, wanting me to go home so I can be a 'proper pureblood son'".

"So she can fill your head with all her pureblood crap more like," Sirius muttered in response. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I just needed space to think more than anything," Regulus shrugged.

"About what exactly? Its not like your life is too hard. You are the perfect son," Sirius sneered.

"Only when I do whatever mother wants me to," Regulus grumbled". "She's expecting me to join the Dark Lord," he explained.

Sirius laughed.

"She is going to get herself cast out or killed," he replied gleefully.

Regulus shrugged.

"I don't want to join anyone, I just want to be left alone".

"Well you being in Slytherin won't help with that," Sirius retorted. "They won't allow you to be neutral. You will have to stand up for yourself".

"I'm not you Sirius," Regulus muttered. "I don't want to have any part in any of this, I just want to study and do well for myself".

Sirius nodded his understanding.

"Then speak to Grandfather," he suggested. "I'm sure he can come up with something".

"I already did and the only thing he told me to do was what I feel is right".

"Sounds like him," Sirius agreed. "Well joining the Dark Lord would be a very bad idea. Harry is out for any of the idiots and there's only so much that the name Black will do for you".

"He told me that already," Regulus sighed.

"Why not transfer schools?"

Regulus frowned and shook his head.

"Mother would never allow it".

"Mother will have no say in the matter if you can convince Grandfather it's a good idea".

"How do I do that? He won't be keen on me being away during a war. What happens if it spreads beyond Britain?"

"Well that is the only idea I have," Sirius shrugged.

Regulus nodded.

"Thanks Siri," he said genuinely as he exited the room, a thoughtful look on his face.

Sirius shook his head at the strangeness of the situation. The two boys had barely exchanged a word in years and yet they just managed a conversation in which Sirius actually offered his younger brother some advice.

(BREAK)

"P-pregnant," Ted Tonks sputtered in disbelief as Andromeda broke the news to him. "How? When?" he asked, clearly in shock.

"Well Ted," Andromeda bit back irritably. "I imagine it happened somewhere between 'we should probably stop now' and 'we should have stopped when you said'".

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry Andi," the boy whispered.

Andromeda sighed.

"It's not like I wanted you to stop," she replied.

"What are we going to do?" he asked nervously.

"What do you think we should do?" Andromeda returned.

Ted met her gaze and stood a little straighter.

"I will be there for you no matter what," he declared proudly. "Both of you," he added as he placed a gentle hand on the girls' stomach.

Andromeda smiled and pulled him into a hug.

"That's all I wanted to hear," she sighed.

(BREAK)

The days leading up to the opening of the tournament had seen Harry very busy with his last minute preparations and as the big day arrived, his nerves had made an appearance also. He had spent days drilling on dodging and shielding, hour after hour on honing his spell chains to perfection and the remaining time working on his physical fitness in between. He truly was as ready as he would ever be, but it was certainly more trying on the nerves than any quidditch match at Hogwarts could ever be. Not only was it the nation depending on him, but also, more importantly, his friends and family.

James, Lily and Bellatrix had all spent most of their time with him over the previous few days simply keeping him calm in his moments of worry and helping keeping him as busy as possible to distract him from what was coming. Their gestures were of course much appreciated by the boy, but no matter how much they tried, the nerves were completely unavoidable.

"Are you ready for this?" Charlus asked as he took a seat at the breakfast table.

Harry could only nod in response causing the man to chuckle.

"You have faced a basilisk and a dragon and yet this is the thing to bother you?"

Harry merely shrugged and helped himself to some toast.

"You will be fine Harry, we all have complete faith in you".

Harry smiled gratefully as both James and Lily entered the kitchen with their suitcases in tow. The rest of their friends would be meeting them in Paris later in the day but Harry had to arrive early for the registration.

After they had all ate their fill, they took the floo to the Ministry where they would take the portkey to France. Once had exited the fireplace, Harry was surprised to see a congregation of witches and wizards waiting to greet him. The crowd ranged from Ministry workers from various departments and members of the public who began cheering him upon his arrival. It did warm him that he had so much support from his fellow countrymen, but he kept his expression stoic, offering only nods of gratitude to some as he made his way through the throngs of people. He felt his arm being tugged as he neared the golden elevator, only to turn and be faced by a grey cloak without a face of its own visible.

"Good Luck kid," the man wished him in a gravelly voice, a voice Harry only knew to well.

He smiled briefly at Filmore before entering the elevator, the other three Potters and Lily in tow.

"Look at that, famous already," James sighed mockingly as he wiped away an imaginary tear.

"Great," Harry grumbled sarcastically.

The group managed to reach the portkey collection point with little more than a few well wishers offering Harry words of encouragement and quickly obtained the device with a few minutes to spare. A sharp tug at the navel was the only warning given as they were each sucked in to the familiar discomfort of portkey travel. They all managed to stay on their feet however and found themselves outside a large stadium, much like the one Harry had been in during the world cup.

"Shall we get you registered and then to the hotel?" Charlus questioned.

Harry nodded his agreement and the group made their way inside to fill out the necessary forms and collect anything that was needed.

"Okay, according to this you have to be back here by 1pm for the wand weighing and the drawing of the group stages," Charlus explained as he rifled through the mountain of paperwork they had received. "Is there anything you want to do in the meantime?"

"Just go and unpack I guess," Harry shrugged in response. "We could go for lunch after".

"Sounds good," Charlus agreed as they reached the hotel they would be spending the remainder of their trip staying in.

"Why don't we all unpack and meet back here in thirty minutes?" Dorea suggested after they had obtained the room keys.

Harry accepted his and made his way to his own room. He unpacked his trunk quickly and made his way back to the lobby to wait for the others, not wanting to be left with his thoughts for too long.

He thankfully did not have to wait long for the others to join him once more and it was Dorea that led them from the hotel to a restaurant nearby.

"We ate here often on our honeymoon," she explained to the teens with a dreamy smile.

Charlus smirked and looked at his wife fondly.

"Ergh, we are about to eat," James grumbled.

"What's so wrong about hearing that your mum and dad had a good time on their honeymoon?" Dorea questioned playfully.

"Mum," James whined as he blushed slightly, his tone scandalous.

Harry snorted at his discomfort whilst Lily blushed slightly also.

"Laugh it up Harry, you got here the same way," James pointed out.

The laughter quickly stopped from the boy and he found himself grimacing instead as James adopted a look of smug triumph, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

"Enough boys," Dorea chided lightly. "We only have an hour before we have to be back at the stadium," she reminded them.

This resulted in the lunch being slightly rushed, but enjoyable nonetheless and they managed to reach the venue with time to spare for Harry to have his wand checked.

It was the first time that he had seen any of his upcoming opponents as he was shown to the room in which his wand would be inspected and he couldn't help but notice that he was the youngest one there by at least a decade, likely more. This fact was also noticed by these men and women and each sneered at him in an attempt to intimidate him or simply paid him no mind, dismissing him immediately.

This only served to irritate him and become even more determined to prove himself against these people. He found it slightly amusing that they were so dismissive. This meant that they would underestimate him, at first at least.

A large, balding Frenchman, who said nothing, but gestured for the boy to hand his wand over eventually called him forward.

He ran his own over it before placing it on what seemed to be an old fashioned set of muggle weighing scales. After a few seconds, a white smoke began pouring out of the end of his wand and the man snatched it back, the smoke solidifying into a piece of parchment as he did so.

His eyebrows rose as he read what was written on the parchment and gave the teen a speculative stare.

"Rare ingredients indeed," he seemed to praise. "I will be watching you very closely Monsieur Potter," he added in accented English.

Harry offered the man a bow once his wand had been returned and left the room to see the rest of the group waiting for him.

"How did it go?" Charlus questioned.

Harry nodded.

"It was fine," he assured them. "We just have to wait to be called in for the draw now".

"Let us find somewhere for us to sit then," Dorea suggested. "Arcturus will be arriving soon with the rest of the Blacks".

James visibly cringed at that.

"Thank Merlin Remus, Peter and the others are coming," he mumbled.

They managed to find an area to themselves despite the fact that the place was rather packed and such space was sparse. They were only sat for around fifteen minutes when Arcturus arrived with Melania, Regulus, Sirius and Cassiopeia in tow. Pollux, Druella and the three younger Black females followed them momentarily later.

"Are you all set?" the patriarch of the family asked.

Harry nodded.

"The wand weighing has been done, we re just waiting for the groups to be drawn, it will come up on the big screen," Charlus explained as he pointed out said screen.

"The waiting is the worst," Pollux broke in.

"This is hardly the domestic circuit," Cassie replied coldly.

It was clear that the woman had yet to forgive him for his stunt at Christmas if the glare aimed at the man was anything to go by.

"No, but I at least have an idea of what he is going through," Pollux bit back. "Not all of us have spent our lives in dusty rooms full of books, tinkering with useless items".

"Enough," Arcturus interrupted sternly. "We are not here to take shots at each other," he reminded them.

"You are right, Father," Pollux, conceded. "You have my apologies Mr. Potter".

"It's fine Mr. Black," Harry waved the man off dismissively. "Thank you for coming".

"My pleasure, I do have to see if there are any weaknesses in your game after all. Just in case you upset my daughter and we find ourselves at odds with one another".

"Ha," James interjected. "She'd kill him herself if he did".

Bellatrix smirked at that as she wrapped her arms around Harry's neck.

"I'm sure he already knows that," she muttered, her gaze boring into his own. "And it is nice to see you without the assets this time," she added.

James blushed furiously and began muttering under his breath.

"What assets?" Arcturus questioned.

"Oh, Harry practically turned him into a woman," Bellatrix explained, making the appropriate gestures to demonstrate what she meant.

Sirius roared in laughter at that.

"Nice one Harry, it's about time someone got him with that," he praised.

Harry offered the boy a smile that he returned with a nod.

It was in no way a declaration of forgiveness, but it was a start.

"Harry, gender transfiguration is very dangerous," Dorea chided, though it was clear that she herself was trying to contain her mirth.

"But hilarious if done correctly," Charlus corrected.

Dorea swatted him across the arm and gave the man a glare. He however did not lose his smile.

It was then that Harry found himself on the receiving end of a headlock complete with knuckles being dragged furiously across his head.

"Bloody hell Longbottom are you trying to soften him up for the other countries you traitorous git?" Sirius questioned.

"That's Trainee Auror Longbottom to you Black," Frank corrected with a grin.

"Looks like they're taking in all kinds of riff-raff these days," Sirius replied.

"Then you yourself will have no problems," he quipped causing the group to break out in laughter.

"First he's head boy and now going to be an auror," Sirius grumbled. "I might just emigrate".

"Congratulations Frank," Harry offered sincerely.

"Thanks Little Potter," he returned with a proud grin.

Marlene and Alice had arrived with Frank and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek for luck. Marlene headed straight for Sirius afterwards and threw herself in his arms.

"And is this the young lady that you are courting, Sirius?" Arcturus questioned.

Sirius nodded.

"This is Marlene McKinnon," he introduced the girl. "And this is my Grandfather Lord Black," he added formally.

"We have met briefly sir," Marlene reminded.

Arcturus took her offered hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"We have indeed," he stated. "I do hope my Grandson is treating you with the proper respect".

Marlene smiled.

"He has treated me as a gentleman should, Lord Black," she proclaimed.

"Both of them are filthy liars," Alice muttered, only loudly enough for Frank to hear.

The boy chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

"And here comes the last two members of the idiot club," Frank announced as Peter and Remus came into view.

"Sorry we are late," Remus apologised. "We got held up at the portkey office".

"It's not a problem boys, you haven't missed anything yet," Charlus assured them. "But the group announcements should be starting soon".

"How are you Mr. Lupin?" Arcturus asked, offering the boy a genuine smile.

"I'm very well thank you Lord Black," the boy replied with a bow.

"I'm pleased to see you looking well," Arcturus returned.

Remus smiled. Both knew what they were referring to and Remus was pleased that the man did not feel the need to say it out loud.

"It's starting," Charlus called as the screen came to life.

The group all took their seats and waited for the draw to begin.

Two men and a lady in official looking black robes appeared on the screen in front of a large oak podium complete with a large bronze microphone. Hovering in front of them was a large glass orb that had several pieces of parchment floating within.

One of the men, his robes trimmed with gold, smiled widely at those gathered in the room before he addressed them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he began in a heavy eastern European accent. "I would like to welcome you all to the European Dueling Tournament of the year 1977," he announced, eliciting a smattering of applause by those gathered. "Without further adieu, we shall now draw the names for the group stages. Each group will consist of four countries and the winner of each group will be determined on a point system basis. A win will earn your country three points, a draw will give you one and a loss scores nothing," he explained. "Each competitor will duel all of those drawn into their group and the winners will advance to the quarter finals".

Harry nodded his understanding, his focus solely on the screen.

"How can everyone understand him?" James questioned as he pointed to the screen.

"The microphone has translation charms and runes on it," Lily explained.

"Ahh," James deadpanned. "I should have known".

The draw began and as each country was called and added to a group the representative of said country would stand to let their presence be known. Harry was again reminded that he was the youngest here by several years, but he did not allow himself to be intimidated by such thoughts.

"The first country in Group C will be Spain," the man announced after the lady had drawn a slip of parchment and handed it to him. He then held it up so the name of the country was visible to all in the room.

The Spanish representative stood and acknowledging her calling with a slight bow before resuming her seat to a round of applause.

"Joining Spain in Group C is… France," the announcer resumed.

An eruption of applause sounded for the Frenchman as he stood. He did not bow however but glared maliciously at the Spanish duelist, intent clear in his eyes. He was clearly not keen on losing in his home country. He swaggered around his associates as though he was a prized bull of sorts. He was a tall and largely built man, his light brown hair slicked back perfectly with icy, piercing blue eyes.

"What a pompous prick," Frank observed distastefully.

"Joining the competitors from France and Spain will be Luxembourg," the man continued when the French competitor finally took his seat once more.

The man from Luxembourg merely stood for a brief moment to acknowledge his grouping. He too was a large man but bald with near black eyes. He had a large handlebar moustache made up of thick black hair that he was currently grooming with a small comb.

"The final competitor in Group C will be the representative of Great Britain," the official declared.

Harry rose from his seat as those around him burst into applause and cheers.

"Ha," the Frenchman scoffed loudly, loud enough to get much of the attention of the room on him once more. "I will send what is left of you back to your _Maman_ little boy, you should not have come".

Harry smirked evilly at the man and allowed a little of his anger to surface, but said nothing in reply. The two simply glared at one another for quite some time.

The Frenchman was eventually pulled away by one of his group members and Harry took his seat.

"I don't care if you lose against any of them, but the Frenchman gets it," James whispered furiously.

Harry nodded his understanding.

The rest of the groups were announced fairly quickly and Harry had a couple of hours to prepare for his first duel against the man from Luxembourg. The Potters, the Blacks and the teens that had accompanied them spent the time keeping him occupied.

He had been given his own dressing room, much to his relief. He wasn't keen on sharing a room with the others whilst he prepared himself. He ensured that he was dressed in the dueling robes that had been provided in plenty of time and waited to be collected by one of the referees of the match. His friends and family had stayed with him until the last possible moment and had left to find their seats, leaving him alone to prepare for his first duel of the tournament. Each had either given a hug, a handshake and some words of encouragement before parting and Bella had promised him that she would be there to help him relax once he had finished.

It was these thoughts that were interrupted as the referee, the same Frenchman that had checked his wand, entered his room and beckoned him to follow.

"As a French citizen I should be against you in this now, but as a man I cannot stand Monsieur Bastien. Humble him my friend," he requested in a requested in a light tone.

Harry chuckled in amusement and nodded.

"I have the Luxembourg man first, but I plan on leaving a lot of upset French people once I am finished with your champion".

The man laughed and patted Harry on the shoulder before halting him.

"We must wait for you to be announced," the man informed him. "You will then enter the platform and be scanned to ensure you have no hidden weapons or enchantments. You will be tested to ensure you have not taken any potions before each duel".

Harry nodded his understanding. He had expected this.

"You are the underdog in this Monsieur Potter, but there is something about you. If it were not against the rules for myself to place a bet, I would be inclined to put a few Galleons on you. I believe that I would not be as disappointed as many would expect".

Harry merely raised an eyebrow in response.

The teens' opponent was announced first. The man entered from the opposite side of the stadium and made his way to the centre of the platform, another official leading the way.

"And his opponent representing Great Britain and our youngest competitor, HARRY POTTER," the announcer roared.

Harry blocked out the capacity crowd and followed the French official onto the platform. He too made his way to the centre and waited for the mentioned checks to be complete.

The female he had seen on the screen approached him and began waving her wand over his robes. All in all it took around thirty seconds to nod her satisfaction to the main official. She then took her place beside him whilst the man addressed them.

"Gentleman, you know the rules," he stated. "You will receive only one warning if they are breeched and will be disqualified for a second offense. My word is final," he added firmly. "Shake hands if you wish and take your positions".

The man from Luxembourg offered his hand, which was accepted by Harry. Each nodded before heading to their end of the platform and waiting for their portion of the competition to begin.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" the referee questioned both men once they were in position.

Each nodded that they were.

"Begin," he commanded.

His opponent began by firing off a basic spell chain consisting of a couple of stunners, a disarming charm and a cutting curse which Harry simply dodged, not wanting to waste energy with shields unless necessary. It was clear that the man was only warming up, attempting to gage how he would react.

He returned fire with a chain of his own; a blood-boiling curse, a bludgeoner, two cutters and a bone-breaker that left his wand much quicker than his opponent expected. He managed to dodge the first two but was clipped by both cutters whilst doing so, one to the shoulder and one to the thigh on his right hand side. He managed to shield the bone-breaker at the end and his eyes narrowed. He knew now that Harry was not pulling any punches. He offered the teen a respectful nod and began firing back, this time with much more dangerous magic. Blasting curses, cutters and am array of borderline spells left his wand with the intent of putting the newcomer in his place. His focus was primarily on casting that he did not see the boy had already fought back.

The man felt a spell impact against his knee and he staggered, only to be caught by a second spell that took him off of his feet. He rolled away from a blasting curse that had been aimed at his prone form and managed to get back to his feet, the teen completely untouched by his previous onslaught.

He growled irritably. He had not expected the boy to be so fast let alone so composed in such a situation. He was barely a man and yet it seemed as though he had been doing this for years.

He whipped his wand in an upward slashing motion, pulling a large section of the platform clear before twirling his wand and transfiguring it into a crude golem. He quickly added several protection spells to the behemoth and sent it on its way towards his opponent. He didn't expect it to last any longer than a couple of minutes but that was ample time to prepare his next set of spells and give them a powerful much needed boost.

He had barely been at work a few seconds when what seemed to be a canon blast sounded. He felt a powerful wave of hot air overcome him as his eyes widened in horror. Not only had the boy destroyed his creation with a single spell, the debris were heading towards him having been banished afterwards.

He attempted to hastily erect a shield, but he already knew he was too late. He braced himself and as expected, he felt the pain of a dozen or so thick splinters enter his flesh at various points of his body. He managed a muffled scream before he collapsed heavily onto the platform, his wand rolling out of his grip on impact. It was only a few agony-filled seconds later that he heard the inevitable outcome.

"Winner, Great Britain," the referee declared.

The crowd roared in appreciation as Harry made his way over to his downed opponent to hand his wand back.

He reached him a moment after the medical staff that were already working on making him more comfortable before taking him to the medical tent.

"Your wand sir," Harry explained as he placed it up the mans sleeve and gave him a bow.

He received a grateful nod in reply before he was stretchered off to be treated. He himself exited the dueling area feeling much more confident in his chances here. He knew though that his first opponent had underestimated him and he doubted that would happen again. Nonetheless, it was a relief to get a win under his belt on such a large stage.

"That was amazing," Bellatrix praised as he entered his room.

He smiled and pulled the girl into a hug whilst he was subject to many pats on the back and having his hair ruffled.

"I bet most of them will be shitting themselves after seeing the power of your blasting curse," Peter piped up.

The others nodded in agreement.

"We could feel the vibrations from where we were," Lily confirmed with a little bit of awe.

Harry smiled.

"How did the others do?" he asked.

"The French ponce beat the Spaniard," Remus confirmed. "She's bloody quick though".

"But has no power, her shields won't stand up to any of your impact spells," Arcturus pointed out.

"I don't plan on underestimating anyone," Harry replied.

"And so you shouldn't," Charlus warned.

"I've got a few hours before my next match, I need to eat and a shower would be nice".

"We will give you some time and meet you out front," Dorea offered with a smile. "I'm so proud of you Harry," she whispered as she pulled him into a hug.

(BREAK)

The following morning had dawned dry and bright. Harry had woken up feeling fresh and ready for his second day of dueling. His constant training over the past year had truly paid off and he felt no strain from the previous days activities. His second round against the Spaniard had ended quickly and the words of Arcturus had held true. The woman had been quick on the draw and her dodging was more than adept but her shields could not stand up to the faster and more powerful Harry.

She had accepted her defeat with grace however and had even congratulated him on his performance. Harry had left the stadium on a high and had spent his evening with Bellatrix, who as promised, had helped him to relax in preparation for today.

His morning had thus far been spent in the company of his friends and family eating breakfast and just chatting the hours away. However, his mod had now shifted completely.

He was taking the now familiar walk to the middle of the platform to face the Frenchman. Himself and said man had both won their first two duels leaving this as the decider of who would advance to the quarter finals.

The words of the official did not even register to Harry who only had eyes for his opponent. The man had been insufferable the previous day proclaiming his greatness to all that would listen and treating both of his first opponents with utter disrespect. Already Harry could see that he too would receive the same treatment and he mentally prepared himself to tear the man to pieces. There would be no grace period, there would be no holding back; Harry planed on embarrassing the man and proving that he was nothing spectacular.

The man sneered in his direction as the referee offered the two the opportunity to shake hands. Harry immediately stepped back, not willing to give the man such a courtesy.

He took position at his end of the platform and awaited the signal from the referee, his chosen opening spell already causing the tip of his wand to glow an eerie purple colour.

"Begin," the official roared.

Both men released their first spells. They collided in the centre of the platform and exploded into a series of rainbow sparks.

Harry did not hesitate as he fired spell after spell. Powerful blasting curses gave way to burst of fire and a series of sharp icicles, each leaving his wand with the intent of causing grievous injury.

A loud whistle shrilled and a golden shield appeared in front of both men, cutting off any ability to cast further.

"Warning, Great Britain," the referee announced, much to the displeasure of the crowd.

Harry gritted his teeth. He had thrown nothing against the rules towards his opponent who had had to shield his onslaught when he could not dodge.

The Frenchman smirked, grating on the teens' nerves further.

"Keep it clean," the official warned. "Begin," he shouted again.

His opponent took the offensive this time, throwing spells that escalated quickly into borderline magic, much more dangerous than Harry himself had been casting only a moment before.

He gave the referee a pointed look from behind his shield but the man simply shrugged and turned away from him in indifference.

Harry was furious as he cast his Atlas shield whilst he considered his next move.

He smirked in triumph as an idea formulated and he dropped his shield, rolling to his right hand side as he did so to avoid the incoming spells.

" _Expecto Patronum,"_ he whispered.

His smirk intensified as a large dragon coalesced from the vapour streaming from his wand and took to the sky.

The Frenchman's eyes widened at the sight of the beast and he halted his onslaught in favour of producing his most powerful shield as the large reptile headed straight for him from above. He closed his eyes as he braced himself for an impact that never came. After a brief second he opened them once more to feel his shield shatter around him and the force of a bone-breaker careening into his shoulder.

He had no time to truly register this though but hissed in pain and fury nonetheless.

Less than half a second later he found himself dangling upside down by one leg. His instincts allowed him to fire off a couple of cutting curses before he managed to right himself but he landed heavily on his left leg, hindering his maneuverability significantly. He took pleasure in seeing one of his cutting curses graze the face of the boy as he turned to avoid it. His pleasure however quickly turned to pain almost immediately as a pink spell crashed into his already injured appendage. He managed a hop to avoid the next spell but it only served to put him in the path of the next.

He grunted in pain as he felt his ribs and sternum break and he once again hit the floor in a heap, gasping for air, each inhale causing him to grimace in pain.

It was not the pain that took precedence in his thoughts though; his fury outshone this as he rolled onto his front to avoid the next series of spells and roared, a stream of pure black fire erupting from his wand as he did so.

Harry managed to roll under the flames but did not escape unscathed. The spell had managed to eat through the left shoulder of his robes and cause his flesh to sizzle as it fell victim to its effects.

He again found himself surrounded by a golden shield as the official stepped forward.

"Warning, France," he called.

This allowed the Frenchman to gingerly make his way to his feet and place a few numbing charms on himself. Harry gritted his teeth once more in the direction of the referee. He sensed the man had only interfered to allow his fellow countryman a reprieve, despite the fact he had to warn him.

"Begin," he demanded once more.

Harry held nothing back this time as he fired a concussion hex followed by two cutters that whistled down the length of the platform, finally crashing into another hastily formed shield.

The sting in his shoulder was increasing and he could smell his own cooked flesh protesting against any movement as it became tighter and less mobile. He growled slightly as he pondered a way to end this, dodging the now much slower spells of his opponent.

He had to admit that the man certainly had fortitude about him despite the fact that he was possibly the most arrogant person he had ever met. But this did not serve to afford him any modicum of respect as Harry began twirling his wand between his fingers, leering at the cocky man who now looked mildly concerned.

With a few muttered incantations he conjured five balls of near invisible magic and focused on directing them towards his opponent, a sadistic smile tugging at his lips.

This was a spell he had modified himself after witnessing Filmore do something similar with a single ball.

The Frenchman paused, a look of confusion marring his features, as the magic seemed to float lazily towards him. It was strangely calming and reassuring in a way but he quickly fought such foolish notions; nothing in a competition such as this could have good intentions.

He attempted to fire off a few spells of his own towards them but they simply floated to one side as the spells neared. He then turned his attention to the boy but was again shocked by his abilities as he conjured a wandless shield. It was not as strong as would usually be sufficient, but in his weakened state he could not muster enough strength to break it. Although his opponent was now physically sweating from his efforts, his attention was still firmly on the balls of magic his sending in his direction.

Without warning Harry flicked his wand and the balls of magic were no longer content with only floating towards their target. They seemed to pause for a split second before blitzing towards him with an earsplitting screech.

The Frenchman hastily brought forth another shield but it was not enough.

He felt the magic collide with it but something passed though and before he could comprehend what had happened, he found himself on his back being constricted painfully by a large python that was poised and ready to strike.

The official hesitated for as long as possible before he proclaimed Harry the winner, with reluctance clear in his voice.

Harry immediately left the platform and heard the crowd burst into a cacophony of applause and cheering. He acknowledged them with a wave and was pleased to see that even a large part of the French fans were affording him the same level of praise as the rest of the stadium.

"What the hell was that spell?" Frank questioned as he clapped enthusiastically for his friend.

"I have no idea," James responded as he looked towards Bellatrix for clarification.

The girl chuckled and shrugged.

"I very much doubt we get to be privy to everything he knows."

James and Frank both shared a look and shrugged.

"I'm just glad he's not out to get me," Frank declared.

(BREAK)

The following day had been given as a break for the competitors before the quarterfinals were to begin. Harry had mostly spent the day nursing the burn on his shoulder. Although the skin had been blackened, there was no long term or permanent damage, to which he was of course grateful. Other than relaxing and applying burn paste sporadically throughout the day he had managed to spend some time with his friends and family also, all of who were content to have a relaxing day after the busy nature of the previous two.

The day passed much quicker than Harry would have liked and sooner than he was ready for, he had found himself once again face to face with his next opponent, this one from Denmark.

The man had come from what he learnt had been the weakest of the groups and it certainly showed. The duel lasted less than three minutes with Harry escaping unscathed and the man being stretchered from the arena having fallen victim to a volley of bludgeoners and a well-placed borderline pain curse that had hit the man in the face causing him to drop his wand. Harry had quickly summoned the implement bringing the match to an end.

He had then been allowed to spend the remainder of the day with Bellatrix for which he was grateful. The rest of the group had taken advantage of the fact that they were in fact in Paris and had each taken the opportunity to shop or visit the attractions at their leisure. Harry had taken advantage of the time to get an early night in preparation for his semi-final match against the representative from Croatia.

He had been warned by several of his friends and Arcturus that the man was exceptionally better than any he had faced thus far and had taken full advantage of the warning system in place. He had been seen to use curses that could potentially leave people in a rather poor state for quite some time, two of his opponents having had to be transferred to a nearby hospital as the healers here were not equipped to deal with such damage already.

He was ready but wary as the official signaled for the duel to commence, immediately finding himself having to shield against the powerful spells sent his way. The man was certainly considerably more powerful than his previous opponents. His defenses held firm but his wand bucked violently in his hand with each pounding the shield received. He was confident however that he could endure and that nothing short of an unforgivable or something way beyond the rules of the competition could cause him to falter in his efforts.

His hand vas vibrating painfully by the time the onslaught had seized and he allowed his shield to drop. The man opposite him was sweating copiously and glaring in his direction with venom. Harry however took it in his stride as he returned the favour, presenting the man with an offering of his own.

He pummeled the Croat's shield perpetually and with more vigour than the man had managed. Spell after spell left his wand as he aimed to tire his foe as much as possible. Although he would be content at sitting behind his own shield and allowing the man to tire himself that way, it was not in his nature to take such an action. He was much more comfortable firing spells and dodging when necessary.

His spells came at a speed that did not allow his opponent any respite let lone the opportunity to fire back and when he could see the defenses start to fracture, he was still only finding his rhythm and he knew he could out last the man in a battle of attrition.

The shield eventually crumbled with a gong-like sound and the Croat threw himself to the ground, rolling away to avoid the following spells. He sprung to his feet quickly and fired off a chain of his own while he found his footing once more, breathing heavily from the ferocity of the duel. The teen had proven to be much more than he had expected and far beyond the opponents he had faced during the tournament thus far, leaving him frustrated and feeling embarrassed that he was being bested by little more than a child less than half his own years.

He snarled in fury as he sidestepped another chain of spells, contemplating what it would take to end the youth. His pride would not allow him to yield an inch and yet anything that came to the forefront of his mind would have him forfeit the competition.

His mind continued to draw a blank as he dodged curse after curse and he eventually settled on a 'consequences be damned' approach. He had yet to receive his warning for this round and he was now relying on his next spell to debilitate his opponent enough to edge himself a win with a follow-up flurry.

" _Crucio,"_ he screamed and watched in satisfaction as the bolt of red smashed into the clearly surprised teen.

He poured as much magic as possible into the spell but found himself shocked that the boy did not utter a sound and managed to sustain the curse whilst only falling to one knee.

Harry bit deeply into his lip as the curse slammed into him causing his mind to swim in agony. It hurt beyond anything he had experienced in quite some time, but the man had nothing on basilisk venom or Voldemort's use of the same spell. He endured, waiting for the official to step in but it seemed every second was an eternity. His thoughts remained clouded as he willed for an intervention, but he could not help but think that one would not come. With every ounce of effort he could muster, he managed to raise his own wand and point it into the direction of his torturer.

"Croatia, end your spell," the referee demanded after he had shaken himself from the shock of seeing such a thing cast during a competition.

The man did not heed his advice however and the look of sadistic pleasure remained. The golden shields had risen already but as all magical shields, this could not block the unforgivable either.

The official had seen enough and drew his wand to intervene but it became quickly apparent that that was not necessary.

A stream of bright gold flames erupted from the wand of the victim and grazed across the face of the attacker. He screamed in agony as he was forced to abandon his spell.

The referee found himself shocked into a frozen state as the teen stood, his eyes glowing in uncontrolled fury, his hair dancing in the magic leaking from his body.

Harry could only see red as the curse lifted and he stalked towards his opponent, all thoughts of the competition gone from his mind, any awareness of the crowd completely absent.

"You dare," he hissed, as he made his way further down the platform.

The Croat attempted to fire a curse, but found it batted aside as though it was little more than an irritant.

(BREAK)

The mood in the crowd had shifted from one of merriment at the show they were receiving to one of horror as they watched the young competitor be subjected to the unforgivable curse.

Many shouts sounded throughout the stadium, urging the officials to intervene and the block containing the Potters, the Blacks and the rest of Harry's supporters were fuming. All of them had risen to their feet in fury intent on ending what they were seeing by any means necessary but each were shocked into silence as the flames left Harry's wand and he rose to his feet.

Only those who had seen him when James had been attacked were aware of his state of mind, but none could find it with in themselves to intervene. They were all aware that they could do nothing even if they wanted to and could only watch as Harry began his predatory walk towards the man who had the temerity to use such a spell.

"He's going to kill him," Lily whispered worriedly.

"No more than the bastard deserves," Arcturus growled.

Charlus nodded his agreement.

"If he doesn't, then I will," he spat.

Dorea looked between her husband and brother and shuddered. Arcturus had always been quick to anger but his eyes spoke of a special kind of fury in this moment. She had never seen her husband in such a state and the man before her was little more than a feral beast baying for blood. His eyes glowed as he snarled in the direction of the individual who would dare assault one of her boys in such a disgusting manner.

She too found herself smirking evilly, a look mirrored by all three of her great nieces and sister.

"He deserves whatever is coming," she agreed.

(BREAK)

Harry fired off a bone-breaker that destroyed the Croats' hand, leaving him whimpering even more as he endured further pain to go along with his burns. His wand fell to the floor and Harry swept forward before letting loose a solid left hook that dropped him, his jaw popping audibly from the fist.

Harry was not finished however.

He flicked his wand in the direction of his downed adversary, causing him to hover upright in front of him.

"You should have used the killing curse," he spat angrily.

He allowed his magic to simply take over and the man screamed in agony as his received his justice. Both of his arms were pulled from the sockets and his nose and ears began to bleed heavily as the magic overwhelmed and started to consume every fibre of his being.

"Great Britain, stand down," the referee demanded furiously.

Harry ignored the man and wandlessly parried the stunning spell that followed.

The Croat began turning a vivid shade of purple and his veins became prominent as his air supply was completely cut off.

"Potter that is enough," the official tried once more.

Harry glared at the man but found himself thinking a little more clearly as what he was doing began to settle on his conscience. He wanted the man dead, his fury demanded it but he knew carrying out this act would only end badly for him.

He growled as he allowed the man to crumple once more in a heap on the ground, coughing violently as he did so. The medical teams quickly made their way onto the platform but Harry waved them off irritably.

"He needs it more than I do," he pointed out unnecessarily.

As the adrenaline of the situation started to settle, he began to tremble uncontrollably as the pain he had experienced made itself known once more.

He sighed and dragged a hand through his hair as he took his place on his portion of the platform for the contest to formally be brought to a close.

It took much longer than he had become accustomed to but the announcement finally came.

"After much deliberation it has been decided that both competitors have been disqualified due to gross misconduct," he declared, though he sounded annoyed by the decision himself.

What followed was a wave of booing and jeering from the crowd who did not approve of the decision, but the word of the officials was final regardless of the negative reactions.

"Both competitors failed to stop their attacks when instructed to do so by our judge therefore, the second semi-final has been promoted to our final," he continued amidst another wave of booing.

Harry shook his head and began exiting the arena.

He was of course disappointed in the decision but found that he did not truly care all that much. He had no intentions of becoming a full time duelist in any respect but he had gained some vital experience in combat, the one thing he had expected to obtain from his endeavor here.

He was however stunned as almost every member of the crowd began cheering his name and he could not help but smile at the show of support. They all knew and understood why he had retaliated the way he had and his method had surprisingly earned their approval.

He gave an appreciative wave and smile as he ducked out of the stadium, the only thoughts on his mind now were to enjoy what was left of his summer before returning back to Hogwarts for what would be his final year.

He was quickly joined by those that had accompanied him to France and after assuring them all that he was mostly fine, began the process of readying himself to return home, something he was looking forward to very much despite how much he had enjoyed his time in the French capital.

 **A/N**

 **That ended up being much longer than I expected but I am relatively pleased with the outcome. The next chapter will be summarising the end of summer and the return to Hogwarts with a few other bits and pieces included of course. We still have the baby drama to look forward to with the Blacks and all the other loose ends to tie up as we get more into the nitty gritty of the war which I can promise you will be rather spectacular in many ways. I got this one out as quickly as possible, not wanting to make you wait any longer than necessary for it so I of course hope you have enjoyed this.**

 **As usual guys, please follow, favourite and review. You can of course also send me a PM with any questions and I shall reply as quickly as possible.**

 **Any and all loose ends will be tied up so not to worry there I have the story in its entirety planned out and I'm sure you are aware that Chapter 1 of 'The Green and the Grey; is up also.**

 **As usual guys your support is much appreciated and thank you for sharing my journey with me as I attempt to bring you new and original things.**

 **Peace, love and all that good stuff,**

 **TBR**


	13. A Throw of the Dice

**Chapter 13: A Throw of the Dice**

The controversy surrounding the semi-final duel between Harry and the Croat had caused an astronomical uproar to ensue in the aftermath. Both the British public and the Ministry of Magic had been extremely displeased and vocal at the disqualification of their champion, resulting in their ire being aimed at the French in charge of officiating the match and also the Croat for his actions.

Despite the protests however, very little could be done.

The French insisted that although the Croat had indeed used a banned spell and refused to lift it when instructed, Harry had equally broken the rules. According to the official, the golden flames that erupted from Harry's wand was not an internationally recognized spell, thus they deemed it illegal for tournament use. Adding to that, Harry had also failed to cease his follow up attack when commanded meaning that the decision would stand, much to the protest of several other nations who sympathized with the Brits.

The Croatians had further denied any wrong doing stating that the unforgivable curse may be frowned upon within their country, but it was not technically illegal and they would not be punishing their champion any further.

The ICW had agreed with them also, essentially closing the matter. According to them, the Cruciatus was banned during competitions only because certain nations would refuse to compete had it not.

Harry found he had stopped caring altogether as things escalated further and further. He had seen enough of working politics in his life and he expected nothing less from the protests. He had however returned home a hero in the eyes of the British people. Many had waited to greet the boy on his return and had cheered him upon his arrival with many looking at him with a sense of awe. Very few, if any other would be capable of defending themselves from the spell in such a way as many stated throughout the first days back home.

He had received a myriad of fan mail and gifts from the public, which he had accepted humbly as Charlus had advised. The man had also arranged for a statement to be printed in the prophet from Harry to thank everyone for the support they had shown.

The teen was pleased once the furor of the event had died down and he could get back to simply living his life. It had taken a few days for the effects of the curse to finally wear off and he now had a little time to enjoy the final days of his summer break before returning back to Hogwarts.

He was currently doing something he felt he had not done in the longest of time; taking a few days to himself to relax.

James and Lily had gone shopping in London for the day for school supplies, Charlus was at a Wizengamot meeting and Dorea had left that morning citing a meeting of her own. Which left Harry to take in some sun on the grounds of the manor.

He had taken a rather sedate jog to ease the final vestiges of stiffness in his limbs and was now currently wearing only a pair of shorts as he laid on his back in the middle of the quidditch pitch.

His blissful relaxation was short-lived, though he could not be more pleased with the interruption. Something long fell across his stomach and he opened his eyes to be greeted by sight of Sirius Black standing over him.

"Coming for a fly?" the boy requested with a warm smile.

Harry readily agreed with a smile of his own and took to the sky with Sirius quickly following behind.

Neither said anything whilst they were in the air, they were content to just fly around the grounds at high speeds, dodging each other when necessary and enjoying the freedom both felt on their brooms.

They landed some time later and silently agreed to sit where Harry had been previously, both breathing heavily from their efforts.

"I hope we get quidditch back this year," Sirius said, absentmindedly pulling blades of grass from the ground as he spoke.

"I missed it this year," Harry replied.

Sirius sighed.

"I'm not mad at you," he mumbled, clearly not entirely comfortable with the impending conversation. "I don't think I ever was really. I just didn't know how to deal with it all," he admitted.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"It's strange," he agreed. "Even now I have to remind myself where I am and that things are different," he continued. "The friends I had aren't even alive yet and might never be and the family I never had is alive and well".

"I didn't really look at it from your point of view," Sirius returned with a thoughtful frown.

Harry shrugged.

"It is what it is," he replied with a sigh. "I came back not knowing what the hell I was going to do and then I ended up here".

Sirius snorted.

"So Charlus and Dorea are really your grandparents?"

Harry nodded.

"And James and Lily are your parents?"

Harry gaped a little but was cut off by the other boy before he could respond.

"It's obvious now," he muttered. "Weird though," he added with a shake of his head.

The two fell silent once more until Sirius stood.

"I'm glad you're here Harry," he said with a smile as he offered the other a hand up and pulled him straight to his feet and into a hug. "Now, how about we come up with a prank for Prongs? His summer has clearly been too easy this year?"

Harry chuckled and led the way back up to a house.

He was happy that the issues with Sirius had been resolved, even though he felt he had much more to say. Sirius however, was not James or any of the other Potters. Harry had learnt quickly that Sirius was not one for deep meaningful conversations and chose to flee rather than face them. Because of this he appreciated the interaction he had just shared with the boy and felt himself smiling a little wider as they entered the Potter home to figure out a way of upsetting James's peaceful existence.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sirius spoke once more with a deeper frown. "My Grandfather has arranged a family dinner for tomorrow night and everyone has to be there. Any idea what it's about?"

Harry let out a deep breath and nodded.

"I have an idea," he revealed. "And there will likely be fireworks so have your wand ready," he warned.

"So you're not going to tell me?" Sirius whined slightly causing Harry to grin.

"Nope," he stated flatly. "You will just have to be there to enjoy the show, I think you'll like it".

Sirius huffed slightly and shook his head.

" _So much for a peaceful few days,"_ the emerald-eyed teen grumbled internally.

(BREAK)

The restful slumber of the Potters was disturbed the following morning by the screeching of a wild banshee, the wild banshee in question actually being James Potter as he fell victim to the handiwork of Harry and Sirius from the previous day.

Harry woke with a start, his wand immediately in hand as his sleepy mind tried to digest just what was going on. He relaxed with a mischievous grin however when he identified the source of the commotion.

He pulled himself away from the comfort of his bed and slid into a pair of shorts before exiting the room, the expletives of an unhappy James ringing throughout the house.

"What on earth is going on?" Lily questioned, equally as sleepy as she too emerged to investigate the commotion.

Her usual kept appearance had been replaced with a more bedraggled one, courtesy of her own time in bed. She too was dressed only in her sleepwear and she blushed as she caught sight of Harry donned only in shorts. She looked away purposely as a sense of wrongness overcame her at seeing the boy in such a state but she could not help but admire his tattoos.

"Sounds like a girl in trouble," Harry replied dramatically causing the girl to raise an eyebrow at him in suspicion.

"What did you do?" she sighed knowing that it would be herself having to deal with a boyfriend in an unpleasant mood.

"Me?" Harry questioned with an innocent yet offended tone.

Lily placed her hands on her hips and glared at the boy.

Any further conversation between the two was disrupted by another wave of screaming as a very different James Potter emerged from his room being carried bridal style by Sirius Black who wore a triumphant smirk.

"Never fear ma'am, Sirius Black will recue you," he spoke firmly as he began charging down the corridor as quickly as his burden would allow him.

Inevitably, that was where things went wrong, and the duo ended up on the floor in a tangle of limbs as a misstep caused Sirius to trip.

James groaned and began rubbing his head whilst he tried to extricate himself from the other boy. They managed it eventually and both found themselves on their feet.

James having become aware of Sirius's presence seemed to lose much of his anger as he stared at the other teen with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Padfoot?" he asked in disbelief.

Sirius smiled as the two shared a hug, a hug that was interrupted with the bright flash of a camera.

"One for the family album," Dorea announced victoriously leaving both boys sharing a look of horror.

Charlus simply stood behind his wife shaking his head as he took in the scene in front of him.

"Well Dor, you always did want a daughter," he chuckled.

James blanched as he was again distracted by his appearance. He was clothed in a form-fitting red dress that clung to his now very feminine curves, His hair had lengthened considerably and been styled in an elegant braid. His make-up had been done to complete the look but his biggest shock had been when he became aware of certain parts missing from his anatomy.

"I'm actually a girl," he squawked.

Sirius roared with laughter as James attempted to come to terms with his predicament.

"You," he suddenly growled as he spun to face an amused looking Harry. "I'll kill you," he threatened. "And you," he added to a snickering Sirius.

"How long until it wears off?" Dorea sighed.

Sirius continued to chuckle as he undone his spell work with a few waves of his wand.

James let out a deep breath of relief once he was satisfied that he had been reverted back to his natural state, though he looked even more ridiculous in the dress and make up.

"I'm going to shower," he ground out as he stomped back towards his room, the laughter of the rest of the house following him until he slammed the door shut behind him.

"We are pleased you're home Sirius, but did you have to do that?" Charlus questioned with a hint of exasperation in his tone.

"Yep," the teen replied immediately.

Charlus sighed.

"Breakfast?" he suggested resignedly.

A still sour James joined them about fifteen minutes into the meal shooting a venomous glare at Sirius and Harry as he took his seat next to Lily.

"You're both dead," he muttered irritably.

"Calm down Jane and eat your toast," Dorea quipped causing Charlus to snort into his coffee.

James huffed as he served himself some food, not wanting to get into a battle of wit with his mother.

"What time does Arcturus want us there tonight?" Charlus asked, changing the subject to an even less pleasant one.

"Seven," Dorea confirmed. "And yes James you are going as are Harry and Sirius," she added firmly.

James appeared as though he would argue but any response he had died on his tongue as he noted the glare of the woman.

"As much as we'd love to have you with us Lily it probably wouldn't be a good idea," she spoke apologetically. "Most of my relatives will not take kindly to your attendance".

Lily nodded her understanding.

"I did promise Marlene I would go and see her," she replied.

"Any idea what this is about?" Charlus questioned. "It's not like your brother to request a full family meeting like this".

Dorea shook her head.

"I have no idea," she admitted with a frown. "I imagine it will be something big though".

James chuckled in amusement but quelled his laughter quickly as Harry shook his head at him.

"You know too?" Sirius huffed.

"No idea what you mean pads," James returned innocently. "I'd keep your wand ready though. But then again, I'd always keep my wand ready around the Blacks," he added.

Dorea shook her head.

"Is there likely to be trouble?" she enquired.

"Definitely," James answered with a smirk. "Not for us though," he confirmed.

Dorea pursed her lips slightly.

She had a feeling it was going to be a very long night.

(BREAK)

Arcturus grinned internally as the young man in front of him quivered slightly under his penetrating gaze, just as he had expected. His granddaughter could do nothing but glance between the two wizards worriedly as the couple waited for the man to speak. It had been almost five minutes since the scrutiny had begun, the most uncomfortable five minutes of her life.

Eventually Arcturus narrowed his eyes and leaned back slightly in his chair

"You have caused me quite the headache these past couple of weeks Mr. Tonks," he stated without humour. "And I imagine that headache will only increase".

The man did not respond knowing now was not the time to talk.

"Just how is it you plan on supporting Andromeda and the baby when it arrives?" he questioned, his tone becoming bitter at the mention of the unborn child.

"I have secured a position as a trainee solicitor with Donovan Ogden," Ted revealed. "I will work every hour possible to ensure that neither will want for anything".

Arcturus probed the boy with a small amount of passive legilimency and was surprised some rather sturdy shields in place. The young man however did not hesitate to drop them for the man to see the truth in his words.

The older man nodded at the younger in appreciation.

"Most words are empty Mr. Tonks, but your intentions are there," he conceded.

Andromeda frowned unhappily at her grandfather for his invasion of privacy but it went unnoticed by both men.

"And what of a home? Do you have a place in which you the three of you can live?"

Ted rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort.

"I am working on it Lord Black," he assured the other.

Arcturus nodded in satisfaction and reached into the top draw of his desk and removed a roll of parchment and began to read. He nodded before handing it over to the other man. Ted read the missive and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline in shock as he took in the document.

"Make no mistake Mr. Tonks, the house is not a gift," he warned. "Every last knut will be paid back".

Ted could only nod dumbly.

"This however," Arcturus continued as he placed a large sack on the desk in front of the younger man. "Is a gift from myself and my wife to ensure you both have everything you need for the house, the child and yourself".

Ted swallowed deeply and nodded in gratitude.

"It is a most generous gift sir," he choked out.

"Why are you doing this for us grandfather?" Andromeda broke in.

Arcturus sighed as he stood from his seat and looked at the couple.

"Because I promised you that after your Fathers stunt last Christmas that I would allow no one to interfere with your choices on who you were to be with. I myself had the chance to marry for love and I did not want the same opportunity to be taken from any of you," he explained.

Andromeda hugged the man tightly as she sobbed into his chest.

"This does not mean that I am happy about the circumstances," he added. "But I can see that you both care for one another and that is what I wanted all along for you".

Andromeda could only nod her thanks as he finished speaking.

Ted stepped forward and offered Arcturus a slightly trembling hand.

"I can promise you sir that I will not let you down," he spoke confidently.

The older man hesitated before taking the proffered limb.

"See to it that you don't Mr. Tonks, but it is Andromeda you should not be letting down," he advised. "Should you do anything to upset her then it will be me you are dealing with".

Ted nodded nervously.

"Now," Arcturus began again as he took his seat once more. "There is no doubt that this is going to cause a rather unpleasant fallout within the family. Many will turn their backs on you Andromeda and there is nothing I can do about that".

Andromeda had already known this from the moment she realized she was in love with Ted.

"I can however promise that none will attempt to harm you," Arcturus continued. "I do however have two stipulations," he added gravely.

The two teens shared a slightly uncomfortable look before the man spoke again.

"The two of you will marry," he demanded. "There will be no arguments on this. A bastard has not been born in to the Black family for half a dozen centuries and it will not happen under my headship".

Ted immediately nodded his agreement. He had already planned on asking the girl, though this way was certainly less romantic than his own ideas.

"What's the second?" Andromeda questioned.

"You will invite your Grandmother and myself around at least once a month when you are moved in and settled, you know how she can be with children," he sighed slightly.

Andromeda snorted and Arcturus stood before handing the sack of gold to Ted.

"Well Mr. Tonks, I do believe you have a home to look at," Arcturus reminded him. "I can assure you, no harm will come to her during this evening," he added when he saw the young man was about to protest.

Ted nodded before placing a kiss on Andromeda's cheek and exiting the room.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully.

Arcturus nodded.

"You know it would have been much easier to just kill him and have the baby raised as your sibling".

Andromeda looked horrified at the idea.

"Why didn't you?"

Arcturus sighed.

"Had it been left to me I probably would have," he admitted. "But I must be going soft in my old age," he added with a frown as he remembered the conversation he'd shared with Harry. "Anyway, you had best freshen up, I imagine tonight will be wonderful," he concluded sarcastically.

(BREAK)

Harry, along with the rest of the Potters and Sirius arrived at the home belonging to Arcturus where they were immediately shown into the dining room. The house itself was not as grand as Grimmauld Place but it was not exactly a modest dwelling. Harry took a seat between Bellatrix and Andromeda whilst James and Sirius stuck close to Charlus and Dorea.

The rest of the Blacks were already situated. Druella and Pollux were next to Narcissa and Regulus had taken vigil next to his Grandmother, leaving Cassiopeia, Walburga and Orion seated together on the opposite end to where Arcturus would be sat at the head of the table.

The an in question arrived and those assembled rose from their seats out of respect to the man that had opened up his home to them. At his nod they resumed their positions and waited for him to begin, Walburga clearly being the least comfortable and displeased as she shot a withering glare towards her eldest.

Noting the edginess of the girl, Harry gave Bellatrix's hand a reassuring squeeze as Arcturus summoned his elf to serve the first course. It was consumed mostly in silence, with the occasional pleasantry exchanged, though all were aware that this was not a casual dinner. The serious countenance of the host demonstrated as much.

Once the final plates for desert had been cleared and the coffee was served, the head of the family dabbed delicately at the corners of his mouth with a napkin before addressing the room.

"We have much to discuss," he informed them severely, his tone leaving no room for interruption. "I will speak first and then I will hear from yourselves but heed my next words. What I say is final. If you do not like it then that door is open for you to leave," he finished sternly as he pointed to the exit.

It was not often that Arcturus Black was so candid, even with those of his blood but this was not a time smoke and mirrors nor fabrications.

When it was clear that he had the undivided attention of those gathered he spoke once more.

"Firstly, there is no denying it, we are at war," he said gravely. "Because of this I have made the decision that, to ensure our continuation, Regulus will not be returning to Hogwarts. He will instead be attending Durmstrang for his schooling".

Walburga looked murderous at the announcement.

"You will be silent until I have finished," Arcturus spat, noticing her displeasure was at the point of becoming vocal. "Regulus is second in line for headship, his position in Slytherin puts him in danger at that school, so he is leaving, end of story".

"You cannot do this," Walburga shrieked hysterically.

"It is done Walburga," Arcturus hissed. "Orion, control your wife".

The man in question placed a hand on her forearm and shook his head sharply in a reprimanding way.

"Regulus himself wants to go and we will support him in his choice," Arcturus explained.

Walburga shot her youngest son a look of confusion mixed with rage. The boy merely refused to meet her gaze.

"Moving on," Arcturus spoke loudly to prevent any more outbursts. "Sirius is to be the next head of house after myself".

This appeared to be too much for Walburga as she shot to her feet and slammed her hands on the table, her glare alternating between her husband and son.

"You cannot do this," she screeched furiously. "That little bastard should be cast out, not given the headship".

Arcturus rose slowly and deliberately to his feet, his cold grey eyes boring a hole straight through the woman.

"I can do as I see fit," he growled. "Sirius Orion Black will be head of this family. I have discussed it with Orion and he agrees also".

The man nodded and Sirius was more than a little shocked.

Walburga's lips became a tight line and her eyes blazed reminding Harry of the portrait of the woman he had met. She did however take her seat but shook her head in displeasure.

"One final announcement," Arcturus called. "With my…blessing, Andromeda is to be wed".

"To whom?" Pollux questioned, his eyes narrowed towards his father.

"I would seriously consider the look you are giving me Pollux," Arcturus growled. "She is to be married to one of her schoolmates, a young man she has been seeing for sometime and one who has much potential to do well by her".

"What is it you are not telling us Arcturus?" Cassiopeia interjected.

The man sighed.

"The reason that this is happening this way is because she is pregnant".

This one statement caused a furious eruption from around the table.

Walburga was positively foaming at the mouth as she fired off expletives about 'sluts' and 'whores'. Cassiopeia was trying to demand more information whilst Pollux seemed to be torn between screaming in frustration and shouting random curse words. Dorea had drawn her wand knowing that the situation could become physical at any given moment as James and Charlus were trying not to laugh.

Sirius said nothing though he smiled warmly at his older cousin who returned it nervously. Druella was trying to cover the ears of her youngest as Bellatrix was prepared to shield her sister. Harry merely drank some more of his coffee whilst he waited for the noise to die down. He noted that Regulus was doing the same and the two exchanged a grin and nod.

Arcturus grew tired of the prattling and fired off a loud bang from his wand, causing the Blacks to fall silent as he looked upon them in fury.

"Enough," he spat. "I will not force any of you to be supportive of her decisions but I will warn each and every one of you now. If any attempt is made to harm her, her child or her future husband, I will cast you out of this family before you can utter a single word. Are we understood?" he demanded.

None spoke, but the threat from the patriarch rung in their ears.

It was Pollux that found his voice first.

"How could you be so stupid?" he hissed dangerously.

Andromeda could only tremble, terrified of what could happen next.

"She made a mistake," Arcturus cut in. "She understands that she was foolish and she had been dealt with already".

Pollux shook his head angrily.

"And who is this young man?" he questioned.

"His name is Theodore," his daughter whispered in reply.

"Theodore who?" Pollux probed further.

"Tonks," the girl sighed.

Pollux frowned deeply as he tried to place the name.

"That is not the name of a pureblood family," Walburga gritted out.

A look of unadulterated rage overcame the man and he stood sharply, drawing back a hand ready to strike the young woman. He was physically restrained by Harry who simply glared at the man and shook his head as he held his wrist in a vice-like grip.

"You will control yourself Pollux," Arcturus commanded. "None of this is up for debate".

Walburga was not content to allow the girl off so lightly and she drew her wand and shot to her feet, a mad gleam in her already manic eyes.

" _Crucio,"_ Arcturus roared in anger.

He looked down on the woman in disdain as she screamed in agony under his curse. He let up a moment later and left the woman quivering on the ground.

"I will put that down to the heat of the moment," he muttered distastefully. "Any further attempt to harm her will see the next person out on their arse".

His use of the spell on a member of his family curbed any further outburst similar to Walburga's but it was clear that Pollux and Cassiopeia were not pleased by the evening developments. The rest of the family seemed to take it in their stride mostly because the majority already knew most of what had been revealed and partly because blood status was not much of a priority to them.

After the disciplining of Walburga, the remainder of the shared evening was subdued, not including the various glares shared between certain members of the table.

Andromeda had been the first to leave and Pollux miraculously managed to hold his tongue whilst she did so. Cassiopeia left along with Walburga and Orion not long after, the woman completely ignoring everyone in the room as Orion bid them farewell.

It wasn't until the Potters and Sirius left along with the rest of the Blacks did Arcturus breathe a sigh if relief.

"It could have been worse," Melania comforted him.

He nodded his understanding.

"It could have been better also," he pointed out. "I fear I have created a divide".

"The only one who would dare is Walburga," his wife assured him. "Pollux enjoys the comfort that our name brings far too much".

"Let us hope then that Orion can keep her reeled in. I will kill her if necessary".

And he would. Melania had never once doubted the word of her husband and she would not start now.

(BREAK)

Lord Voldemort took a seat in one of the parlour rooms that Riddle Manor had to offer. It had taken him months of work to remove all traces that this was in fact a muggle dwelling, a part of his lineage he loathed. Despite this hatred of his heritage, it did not stop the man from laying claim to the wealth of the family; it would have been a considerable waste had he chosen not to. Instead, as a much younger man, he had come forward to take what was by birthright his property and money.

The Gaunts had passed on destitute and penniless, leaving the man nothing. The Riddles however had been exceedingly wealthy. They had continuously made profitable investments leaving the last remaining member of the line quite the wealthy man, though it was a wealth that would not fund his ambitions. This mattered little now however as he had of course managed to procure the allegiance of those that had the disposable funds to achieve his goals.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he pondered his previous fortnight.

The Ministry had all but blocked his relations with the werewolves. Quite the blow and inconvenient but nonetheless, it would do little to hinder his progress. The stifling fools were still attempting to put their new decree into practice meaning that the creatures had decided to remain mostly neutral until the details were confirmed. Only those under the leadership of Fenrir Greyback remained loyal and those numbers were almost insignificant. The rest had simply gone to ground.

The Dark Lord himself had taken advantage of the fact that the measures around international transport would be lax during the dueling tournament, allowing him to recruit amongst the witches and wizards on the continent, something that had been sufficiently successful.

He also managed to watch some of the tournament himself whilst he had been in the area and found himself impressed with the talent on display. He had no doubt that had Potter not been disqualified, he would have won the thing. This did however give him cause for concern.

Not only had the boy bettered his opposition rather easily on all accounts. He managed to fight through the pain of the Cruciatus Curse to defend himself amiably, an occurrence that the Dark Lord had never witnessed himself. By any stretch, that was a spectacular feat, especially for one so young.

He shook his head.

The Blacks and the Potters had spearheaded the new legislation in regards to the wolves and that did not sit well with Voldemort. It had truly left him incensed.

He knew that he could not allow a transgression such as this against him to go unpunished, but he was wary. He was wary of the Blacks as a single entity and he was equally worried about the Potters. The latter was a small family but one of talent, a legacy of legend on the battlefield. However, the major concern was the youngest Potter.

He had already proven himself to be a worthy adversary in many ways. He had proven himself savvy and knowledgeable at their meeting the previous Christmas. He had proven himself worthy against Antonin, he had further solidified his capabilities during the Hogsmeade attack and further still during the tournament.

He sighed as he tapped his chin, his mind contemplative.

"What to do"" he mumbled.

If he were to attack either of the families then he would provoke the ire of the boy, a boy that had yet officially allied with anyone and one that was a threat to almost any.

He had no doubt that he himself could handle the teen but he could not express the same confidence for any who followed him. The boy would easily wipe the floor with the best he had.

The situation was frustrating to say the least.

He had received no reply from his previous missive to Potter, but the boy had not openly challenged him.

"Another letter perhaps," he mused.

It was the most logical step for the Dark Lord. He did not want to act rashly and create a formidable enemy when there was still potential for allegiance. If the boy however failed to respond to this missive, then it would seem his mind had been made up. He had been given more chances than any other after all.

"Make the right choice Potter," he growled as he began formulating the content for his overture in his mind.

(BREAK)

The tension on platform 9 ¾ was prevalent, even more so than the previous return journey had been back in June. Accusatory eyes wandered relentlessly, seeking out potential threats as parents ushered children young and much older into one of the carriages before immediately heading to exits. Those who were usually social and would linger to chat with friends and acquaintances forewent this civility, opting instead to offer cautious nods and be on their way.

"I don't get it," Sirius muttered under his breath.

Harry snorted slightly.

"A group of witches and wizards running around with faces covered committing murders and whatnot?" he returned sarcastically. "It could be anyone, so who can you trust?"

The other boys' eyes widened in realisation.

"Got it," he confirmed stonily as he boarded the train himself.

The mood on the train was no less tense. Compartment doors were closed with curtains drawn and no sound escaping. It was eerie to say the least.

The group of teens found a compartment and settled in after Harry had expanded it to be more comfortable.

"It's going to be a tough year," Lily sighed as she snuggled into James.

The boy nodded flatly.

"I still would have thought you would have gotten Head Girl," Alice broke in with a confused frown. "Who else could they have chosen?"

Lily shrugged.

"I'm relieved in a way," she admitted. "I don't fancy the patrols with all of this going on".

Everyone voiced their agreement. This was not going to be a fun year if the tension was a sign of things to come.

The group dissolved into small pockets of conversation spread about the compartment. Bellatrix was talking to Narcissa, Remus and Peter whilst Lily, James, Sirius and Alice did so similarly. Harry however was lost in his thoughts.

It was as though something was missing, something was just not right. The previous weeks had been quiet, a little too quiet perhaps but the levels of caution, warranted as they were, had him slightly perplexed. Had something happened? Or was it merely that nothing had seemingly happened for some time and that was what was causing such reactions?

He shook his head.

If people were scared, as they should be, then he could not blame them at all for the way it was being displayed. They had not lived the life he had nor experienced half as much either. He had become accustomed to danger, as that was all that he had ever known. He was no longer just a boy that flitted from scenario to scenario, relying on luck to get him by. He was now a warrior, a killer. Conditioned with the mindset of a cautious yet fearless man yet, these fearful people were not him. They did not have his training nor experience. They were mothers, fathers, workers in menial tasks throughout the Ministry and such. They should be fearful. Because Harry knew that when Lord Voldemort came for you, you would die. Most of those sat with him had fallen to him before in one manner or other.

His eyes hardened as he narrowed them.

" _Not this time,"_ he vowed internally.

He knew that it was time to become more proactive in taking down the Dark Lord, he just needed to piece together how exactly. Something he would have to ponder.

His thoughts were interrupted as heavy pounding began sounding off the door. The compartment fell silent as Harry stood, slowly sliding his wand into his hand.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"Moody," the voice of the auror replied gruffly.

Harry nodded and opened the door with a flick of his wand.

The man took in all the faces within the room, his propensity for vigilance shining through as always.

"What can I do for you auror Moody?" Harry questioned.

"Just a few minutes of your time, in private," he responded, his glance continuing to shift.

"I'll be back soon," Harry assured the others, who were clearly not certain about him leaving.

Moody led him a few carriages down and ushered him in before he too entered and locked the door. After placing several locking charms and privacy measures the man turned to have a wand placed between his eyes.

He chuckled darkly.

"Good," he praised. "But if I wanted you dead I wouldn't drag you from your friends to do it," he declared. "Much too obvious," he pointed out.

Harry smirked. He knew this was indeed Moody, but his previous experience with an imposter of him had left its mark.

"You wanted to talk," Harry reminded him.

Moody nodded and sighed deeply.

"I am in a predicament," he grumbled as he paced back and forth. "How trustworthy are you?" he asked gravely.

Harry frowned in confusion.

"I don't understand," he returned.

"The Dark Lord, boy," Moody bit back impatiently. "You were very keen not so long ago to fight him".

Harry nodded, still frowning.

"The Ministry is failing to take the threat as seriously as they should," the auror spoke again after a moment. "Things are being kept from the public that should be known and they are chasing their own arses rather than dealing with what they should be".

Harry shook his head.

"You'll have to explain," Harry sighed, frustrated.

Moody huffed and glared at him slightly.

"I need to know I can trust you".

Harry grinned slightly. This Moody was not quite as paranoid as the one he knew but he was certainly on his way.

"I could give you an oath," Harry offered with a shrug.

"A magical one?" Moody questioned, seemingly pleased with the idea.

Harry nodded.

"One that would ensure that I am not, never have been nor ever will serve the Dark Lord, one that would guarantee that I will do everything in my power to end him".

Moody returned his grin and relaxed considerably.

"It will do".

Harry gave the oath knowing that Moody truly was on his side and would indeed be a powerful ally to have. The man readily accepted his word and exhaled deeply as though he'd had a considerable burden lessened.

"Things have not been as quiet as you would believe," he began seriously. "Attacks are still happening but only on the muggles".

Harry dragged a hand through his hair. He knew it had been too good to be true.

"What is the Ministry doing about it?"

"Nothing really," Moody admitted unhappily. "Only placating the prime minister. With Abraxus Malfoy still whispering to the minister, nothing will be done".

Harry nodded his understanding.

"Anything else?"

"A symbol," Moody growled. "It is left at every scene, like a calling card".

Harry felt his blood turn to ice slightly at the revelation. He of course knew what Moody was referring to, but it did not prevent the desire to shudder.

"Symbol?"

Moody nodded as he drew a piece of parchment from within his robes.

"Recognise it?"

"It's called the Dark Mark. All of his followers are branded with it on the inside of the left forearm. It works as a way of communication," he explained.

Moody frowned deeply.

"And how did you come across this information?"

"Well Moody, when someone attempts to recruit me into their ranks I like to know as much as possible," he replied sagely.

The auror stared at him for a moment before nodding, clearly not at all convinced by the teens' response.

"Ok, so we are getting somewhere," Moody muttered more to himself. "Where do we go from here?"

Harry shook his head.

"We need to make the Minister see sense," he mumbled. "With Malfoy around, that won't happen".

"So you want to just off him?" Moody asked incredulously.

Harrys' eyes narrowed slightly.

"How far are you willing to go to end this?"

"Excuse me?"

"What are you willing to do to end this?"

Moody frowned and sighed.

"I missed out on the fighting with Grindelwald," he huffed. "This seems to be starting the same way as that and we are not equipped to handle it," he grumbled. "There's too much legislation in place to really fight back the way we need and it will take too long to make the changes".

Harry nodded his understanding.

"For now, keep doing your job and keep me informed as much as possible, I'll find a way for us to communicate," he added. "I am not under the same rules as yourself," he pointed out.

Moody was clearly thinking about the offer, torn as he was.

"I don't like it," the auror grumbled. "But you are all I have," he conceded. "I can't just give you carte blanche to do as you please Potter, but I want this done before it goes further and you seem to be the only one willing to do what is necessary".

Harry offered the man is hand.

"I will do my best to ensure you are not compromised in any way".

Moody nodded gratefully.

"You are still signed up as a reserve," he reminded the teen. "As per our agreement I will more than likely be using you more and more as I see fit. So be prepared at a moments notice".

Harry grinned.

"I will be".

Moody nodded.

For some reason, he trusted the Potter boy. Despite the oath he had given, he felt as though the teen was one of the very few that was solidly on his side. He had pulled a lot of strings to get himself in the position he was after all and had done more than almost any to hinder the Dark Lord.

(BREAK)

Having filled the others in, to an extent and sending a letter to Charlus regarding the conversation he had just shared with the auror, the rest of the journey had passed pleasantly enough and the teens soon found themselves sat at their respective house tables, waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin. To Harry, this took much longer than he was used to as it had the previous year. An indication that there had indeed been many more students to place during this time. It did however pass with little fanfare, with the teen recognizing few names of the first year students called. That had been until the final young boy took to the stool, a familiar shade of red hair clearly visible.

"Bill," he whispered, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"You know him?" James muttered in reply.

Harry nodded.

"He was my best friends older brother".

James offered him a weak smile and squeezed his knee gently under the table.

As expected, the Weasley soon found himself sat at the table of lions with his fellow first years as the hat and stool were removed from the hall. Now all that was left was for the headmaster to give his standard start of year speech before they could finally eat.

The man eventually rose and though the twinkle in his eyes was present, his expression was uncharacteristically stern.

"As always, I would like to begin by welcoming you all back to another year at Hogwarts," he spoke warmly, his gaze sweeping across the assembled students. "It is of course imperative that we begin with the start of term announcements".

A smattering of mutters could be heard within the room but it quickly fell silent once more.

"To those old and new, the forbidden forest is forbidden to all students and a list of banned items can be found on the door to the office of Mr. Filch," he added with a bow in the direction of the caretaker.

Most of the older students had tuned out at this juncture.

"Now, I sincerely advise that you heed my next words for they will be said only once," he continued firmly.

Those who had chosen to place their attention elsewhere turned back towards the usually venerable headmaster.

"A deep unpleasantness has recently begun to plague our community outside of these walls and that is where such a thing shall remain. Due to these circumstances, we at Hogwarts have implemented a hard stance on any such behavior exhibited within these walls. Any who chooses to resort to such extremist or prejudice behavior will be dealt with accordingly. I suggest you take this warning. It is the only one you will receive," he finished sternly, meeting the shocked stares of some.

Harry himself was surprised by the harsh warning. The Dumbledore he knew had always been somewhat lax in his approach in dealing with Death Eaters and prejudice people such as Malfoy. He couldn't help but smile slightly but had no doubt that there would be some that would ignore the headmaster completely, those that felt they were above his word.

"Moving on," the man spoke again once he was certain the message had sunk in. "You may be aware that we have not selected a head boy nor girl. That is because we will not be doing so this year. Those who have the privilege of being prefects will continue as normal, though any punishments administered by them will be deferred to the heads of houses for a final decision," he informed them.

The staff had chosen such steps to ensure that any abuse of power would be diminished and that a male and female head boy would not put themselves in potential danger by carrying out their duties. It had been a sad decision for the headmaster to make, but one he felt necessary in the current climate. He had considered appointing a head boy and girl from each house but felt that such duties would be adequately handled by the prefects.

"Finally, Professor Mortlake has opted to join the auror corps in light of their current needs and as such, we have had to find ourselves a new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor," Dumbledore informed the students.

"Thank Merlin," James muttered.

"In his stead, I would like to introduce you to his replacement, Professor Potter," the headmaster announced.

The Marauders sat wide-eyed, mouths agape, as Dorea entered from a door just beyond the staff table and took a seat, not even gracing the boys with a glance.

"Oh shit," Sirius whispered in horror as the majority of the students gave the woman a warm round of applause.

"Looks like no more pranking for you lot this year," Lily broke in smugly.

James frowned.

"Nonsense," he dismissed. "It just adds to the challenge," he added with a smirk.

Peter, Remus and Sirius all looked doubtful. Dorea would be harsher on them than any other student and knew she would have no qualms in handing out punishments.

"I don't know Prongs," Peter spoke up. "I don't fancy a detention with your Mum".

James grimaced. The thought of such a thing did not appeal to him much either, but he was not about to allow that to deter him.

"Then we have to be at our best," he returned firmly. "Nothing that can lead back to us".

Harry shook his head. He knew that there was no chance that anything could be pulled off without the finger of suspicion aimed at them.

"We will need solid alibies," he pointed out.

James grinned.

"Peter? Are you up for brewing some polyjuice," he asked mischievously.

Peter frowned but nodded.

"Doesn't that mean we will have to bring others in?" Sirius questioned.

James simply shot a darting glance towards the girls.

"Oh no you don't Potter," Lily growled. "I will not be an accessory to your skullduggery," she said firmly.

"I'm in," Marlene piped up, immediately getting a nod of agreement from Alice.

"And that is why I love you," Sirius declared as he kissed the girl on the cheek, both of them blushing once the boy realized what he had done.

Lily shook her head in exasperation.

"Why is it I see a lot of detentions in our futures?" she sighed.

(BREAK)

The general mood within the school simply paled in comparison to the tension that was prevalent in the house of snakes. There were of course many that welcomed the newest Dark Lord and his ideology, but there were some that came from families with very long memories, memories of the previous Dark Lord that had left an irreparable stain upon their name. This culminated in these families taking a neutral stance. They would in no way support the light, but they had already witnessed the demise of one attempted rebellion and were not willing to tarnish their already frail reputations further. These students, at the command of their respective heads of family, had immediately begun the process of distancing themselves from both sides. But this as they knew would be easier said than done. The families that had already thrown in their lot behind Lord Voldemort would not allow such a stance to be taken permanently. Even now on the first night back in the castle they were being subjected to looks of scorn and displeasure from the likes of the LeStrange brothers and their ilk.

A divide had been drawn, an unspoken one, yet one that was clear. If you did not openly support the dark lord and his cause, then you were an enemy.

Both Bellatrix and Narcissa had completely separated from both groups and looked on with little interest. They both knew that there was a strong chance that the ever-mounting tension could erupt into something much more serious, especially if the looks some were sharing was anything to go by. The younger of the sisters gave the other a questioning look and Bellatrix gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head in response. Her loyalty was with neither of these groups, something that she had made clear quite some time ago.

Narcissa nodded her understanding.

Although she would side with neither, she felt somewhat safer for reasons unbeknownst to herself. Perhaps the divide within the house would keep her much more protected than a unified house under the banner of the Dark Lord ever could.

(BREAK)

Harry sat on his bed in the Gryffindor dorms with a pensive expression marring his features, his emotions conflicted as he took in the most recent missive he had received from Tom. The meaning of the letter was clear, but his solution not so. He had no doubt in where he stood, that itself had never once been in question. It was the decision on what he should do next is what had him stumped.

He shook his head as he read the content once more.

 _To Harry,_

 _May I call you that?_

 _It seems that we have admittedly become more familiar in this form of communication than I have become accustomed to in many years and though it has only been a one-sided affair, I must say, it is rather refreshing. In this form I do not have to suffer the witnessing of undignified cowardice, the fearful trembling of those who lay eyes upon me, nor the pathetic whimpering and incoherency most seem to be afflicted when they are struck with the realisation of who it is that stands before them. Oh, don't get me wrong boy, I revel in such fright, but it has recently become such a bore. I only make personal visits if someone holds something of value to me yet, obtaining what I seek is made irksome by the inability of these cowards to even formulate a sentence, to give me what it is I desire. Cowering fools are nothing but a problem Harry, inarticulate at best and are of no use. I punish them Harry. Oh yes, I enjoy it and it serves purpose, but I cannot deny my pleasure in their suffering. Pain Harry, is violent yet beautiful. You would be surprised at how pain can produce clarity in words. I must admit, it is an ever-useful tool. But why must these fools force me to resort to such acts? If only they could give me what I want, their deaths I assure you would be quick and painless._

 _However, I digress my boy._

 _As much as I would love little more than to regale you with tales of my outings within our world, I fear that it is not the reason I once more find myself writing to you. I am merely taking the opportunity to, against my own usual practice I might add, implore that you align yourself with me. Do not stand against me Harry, it would indeed be such a shame to have to bear witness to you cowering beneath my wands as the rest of those who oppose me shall. And have no doubts my boy, that is how it shall be. Such a waste of magical talent, and for what? I am offering you the opportunity to live, for those you hold dear to continue as they are. Does that not mean anything to you? All that must be done to receive this gift of mercy is to kneel before me, swear fealty and it shall be yours. On these words, you have my most sincere and solemn oath._

 _Do not feel defeated my boy. Do not feel that you are somehow selling out. Think of it as victory. For that is what we shall share together, when all is said and done._

 _I must confess that I make this offer at the expense of my better judgement. A part of me is already resigned to the fact that defiance shall prevail within you, that you will attempt to stand against me. Again, I find myself imploring you, but this time imploring you resist such a reaction. You are an intelligent and undoubtedly gifted wizard. Use the benefit of intellect that you have been gifted to make the logical choice._

 _Does it seem unjust that I am seemingly forcing you into a decision that you may not be quite ready to make? For that Harry, you do have my deepest apologies. However, time is something we know longer have much of and a choice must be made. Please do not be angry with me Harry, for I have one final vestige of generosity within me where you are concerned._

 _One final week._

 _I am gifting you more time. Is that not a most thoughtful gesture?_

 _It is almost as thoughtful as extending a hand of friendship for a third time, though who is truly counting? It is not how we get there that matters Harry but the fact we make it at all is what will be remembered. But please, take this as a final overture. Even with a young man such as yourself, my patience and generosity are finite, all but depleted if truth be told._

 _I leave you with these as parting words and I apologise if they come across as crass and candid, but you must be made to understand my current position._

 _If you choose to stand against me, I will ensure that yourself and every last person you hold dear will suffer endlessly until the final breath escapes their lungs._

 _A little graphic? Perhaps. But by now I am certain you will understand the severity of how much our relationship hinges on what decision you now make. I am certain that you do not want the blood of those you love on your hands. And believe me Harry, you will suffer the loss of each and every one of them before I mercifully allow you to join them._

 _Cliché? Almost certainly. But it is poetic, is it not?_

 _A simple owl will suffice, I can assure you, it will reach me._

 _Forever yours, be it in life or death._

 _Lord Voldemort._

Harry again shook his head, partly in disbelief, as he absorbed the mad ramblings of the man. He had always known Tom had more than a spark of insanity, but this letter highlighted it more than he had ever experienced it.

Meeting him at the Black's that Christmas day had thrown him completely. The spark was clearly there, yet the man had been in such control for the most part. Had the intervening months sapped him of his final essence of human-functionality?

He snorted slightly at the thought.

It was unlikely, he concluded. He knew that Tom had never truly been what most would consider normal. He had merely been intelligent and careful enough to hide the majority of his insanity. But for Harry, that was no longer here nor there. He knew Tom better than any, other than perhaps Dumbledore. What a young Tom had concocted was an almost genius ruse, a complex yet almost normal exterior that had shielded his maniacal tendencies to an acceptable level. One that only Dumbledore had seemingly seen through during his schooling years. After this time, who knew? The man had disappeared like a whisper in the wind, only reemerging to make his grab for power. Merlin only knew what it was that Tom Riddle had truly been doing during the years between school and now.

Harry sighed as he pondered his latest predicament.

What was it he should do?

He knew that ignoring the letter was out of the question completely. Tom would not take ignorance lightly and Harry had to admit that his unpredictability left him more than a little nervous. He could not even fathom how Tom would retaliate to such a social faux pas. But he imagined it would be violent, swift and designed to hurt Harry as much as humanly possible.

He shrugged as he dragged a hand through his hair, carefully formulating and quickly dismissing any possible plans that came to mind.

His mulling was however cut short as he was startled from his reverie. A large ball of flame erupted just above him as Fawkes trilled loudly upon his appearance, a roll of parchment clutched in one of his talons.

"Not another bloody letter," Harry groused as he accepted the missive.

Fawkes shot him a sympathetic look before allowing the boy a few musical notes as he took his leave.

Harry felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth despite himself. Phoenix song always lifted him considerably, and he was grateful for the parting gift of the bird.

He sighed as he unrolled the thankfully short note for the headmaster.

 _Harry,_

 _I would be most grateful if you could join me in my office at your earliest convenience._

 _I find I am currently enjoying marshmallows much more than usual, though they leave my beard unpleasantly sticky._

 _Albus Dumbledore_

Harry couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him as he opened his curtains and exited the dorm. The common room was thankfully empty, and his eyebrows rose as he took note of the time. It was long past midnight, he had been in a state of contemplation for almost three hours.

He cursed under his breath as he exited the tower. He had forgotten the map and cloak but quickly drew his wand. He cast a quick disillusionment charm and silenced his feet before making his way through the thankfully deserted corridors. He arrived at Dumbledore's office unimpeded and muttered the password to the gargoyle, quickly finding himself knocking on the door.

"Come in, Harry," the unmistakable voice of the headmaster prompted.

He entered the room and found himself unsurprised at the familiarity he found within. The room as was as he always remembered. Even in his own time the peculiar instruments whirred in their own comforting way on the shelves that adorned the walls around the office. The bookshelf to the right of the desk was there, each tome very much the same as was the warm smile and twinkling eyes of the man regarding him from behind his half-moon spectacles. The main difference was the slight nervousness and edge Harry now felt around this man that had been born of the last meeting he had here in his own time. This and the attendance of Alastor Moody were now the exceptions of the familiarity he felt.

"Professor, Auror Moody," he greeted them formally before taking the seat the older man offered.

"Potter," Moody growled.

The smile never left the face of the headmaster as he offered his ever-present bowl of sherbet lemons to the teen, which was dismissed with a simple shake of the teens head.

"How are you, Harry?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Not bad, Professor," he replied, slightly confused. "Yourself?"

The smile of the man dropped slightly.

"I wish I could say the same," he sighed. "Things have become deeply unpleasant within our world, as I am sure you are aware".

Harry nodded.

"It is difficult to miss," he concurred tiredly, the stress of the day surfacing for the first time.

Dumbledore nodded.

"I will, as they say, cut to the chase," the headmaster continued.

Harry frowned slightly but waited for him to elaborate.

"You have been here more than a year now. I was most keen to allow you time to settle in and only disturb your reacquaintance with your family unless necessary, alas, other events saw your peace prematurely ended".

Harry shot the man a wary look, angling his eyes towards the other man in the room slightly.

Dumbledore acknowledged this with a slight bow and Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"Story of my life sir," he muttered distastefully.

Dumbledore chuckled humorlessly.

"Indeed," he agreed. "That is why I wished to speak to you most urgently. It appears that much has happened since you arrived, and things are deteriorating at a frightful pace".

Harry tilted his head in curiosity, his unasked question dying on his lips as the older man suddenly stood and paced uncomfortably.

"I know in some ways I have caused a rift between us where trust is concerned, and I have found your methods more than a little questionable, but I believe it is time for us to make peace for whatever has happened in the past," he declared. "Despite everything Harry, our enemy is one and if we do not work together, then we are only setting ourselves up to fail".

Harry swallowed as he nodded his agreement. He knew he could never fully trust the man on a personal level again, but what he said made sense. They shared a common enemy and as far as allies went, Dumbledore was about as powerful as they came. He knew for certain where the man stood against the rise of Tom and that was an undeniable benefit, particularly with the prowess the man had in battle. As much as the teen loathed to admit, having Dumbledore by his side in battle would make his task much less daunting.

"I agree," he sighed. "But my methods will remain the same," he added firmly. "When I go into battle I will not take prisoners and Tom will die by my hand".

A hint of disappointment could be seen in the eyes of the older man, but he nodded stiffly his understanding.

"I will respect your methods so long as you respect mine," he offered diplomatically.

"Then we have something that we can work on," Harry responded as he too rose to his feet and offered the man his hand.

Dumbledore grasped it somewhat tentatively as he sighed.

"I cannot offer you a place in the order," he said almost apologetically.

Harry huffed slightly but smiled nonetheless.

"This is an alliance Dumbledore, I am not under your command. Your offer would have been rejected".

The headmaster nodded.

"Then it seems that we have much to discuss".

"We do," Harry agreed as he removed Tom's letter from his pocket. "And maybe we can end this before it goes further".

Dumbledore took the letter with a frown which deepened the more he read. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"This does very little to assure me, Harry," he spoke quietly.

"But it does present us with the opportunity to put our trust to the test," Harry countered. "And as I said, end it all".

Dumbledore nodded his understanding.

"It is exceedingly risky," he pointed out. "Oh, I have no doubt that he would come, but Tom is nothing if not cautious".

"Then we have to calculate the risk and act accordingly".

"Why is it I feel like I am missing out on a lot more than is being said?" Moody interjected unhappily, his gaze sweeping between the two other occupants of the room.

"Because it is a certainty," Dumbledore clarified without hesitation. "However, it is not my place to say," he added, a placating hand raised in the direction of the grizzled Auror.

The piercing stare of the man found its way to the teen, accusing almost. Moody was clearly under the impression that an accord had been struck with the boy. The lack of forthcoming information spoke differently.

"I will explain," Harry assured him, though he was not certain how much he would divulge to the man. "Now is not the time, not until we have a plan in place at least".

Moody nodded grudgingly, willing to accept the platitude for now. He had already decided to trust the boy, but he would not be being honest with himself he wasn't feeling it waver in this room.

"If we are thinking the same thing, then I'm afraid the likelihood of success is rather low," Dumbledore interrupted with a sigh.

"It is,' Harry conceded. "But it is the best chance we have".

Dumbledore reluctantly agreed.

"He will know it is a trap the moment he arrives and will have prepared for such an eventuality," the headmaster warned.

"Then we will be going in on equal footing," Harry pointed out.

"An ambush?" Moody questioned with a frown.

"It seems that is what we are discussing," Dumbledore acknowledged. "What do you think Alastor?"

The Auror smirked.

"About time we did something," he growled. "I'm tired of sitting with a thumb up my arse".

Dumbledore pondered the situation, not entirely happy with the idea but he knew he could not dismiss it entirely. He removed his spectacles and polished the lenses on his robes, a nervous habit he had since his teenage years.

"I don't like it," he admitted soberly. "But it may be the only clear chance we get".

"The only question is, who can we trust to help?" Moody broke in once more as he shared a knowing stare with the headmaster.

"There are very few I would trust implicitly, and I am hesitant to include the staff," he mumbled more to himself.

"Aye, me too," Moody agreed.

"Would you mind vetting potential candidates, Harry?" the man questioned suddenly. "Your perspective is unique and one we should take advantage of".

Harry acquiesced with a simple bow of his head.

"Excellent," the headmaster exclaimed as he withdrew a sizable sheet of parchment from within his robes. "These are all the current members of the order. I am sure I do not have to remind you of the importance of the safety of this list".

Harry accepted the parchment and placed a few charms of his own to ensure that it could be read by none but himself, earning a nod of approval by the headmaster in the process.

Moody scoffed loudly.

"Are you sure Albus?"

The response he received was a benign smile.

Alastor shrugged. He trusted both of these men for different reasons and in no way did he understand or fathom the new alliance that he was witnessing the birth of. He would get his answers, of that he had no doubt but as things were, he could make no sense of what was happening before his eyes.

"Then I shall leave it to your discretion to compile a list of those we will be taking and of course include the names of those you can think of that would benefit us further," he instructed.

Harry stood, taking the apparent dismissal at face value.

"And you sir?"

"I will spend my time mitigating the risk as much as possible, though I doubt the fruitfulness of such an effort," he added with in a mutter.

Harry nodded.

"Is three days enough?"

"I imagine so," Dumbledore agreed.

"Then I have a letter to write," Harry announced as he made his way to the office door.

"We will meet here in two days-time then?" Dumbledore asked.

"In two days," Harry agreed. "We can finalise everything then," he finished as he exited the room.

He had barely made it to the bottom of the stairs when Moody caught up to him.

"You have some explaining to do Potter," the man hissed irritably.

Harry said nothing but led the man to a disused classroom before sealing it with a flurry of privacy charms after they had entered.

"What the hell was that Potter?" the Auror snarled.

"That was me doing what is necessary to finish this," Harry bit back irritably.

"I get that, I meant the whole thing with Albus," Moody replied, his demeanour less confrontational.

"It's complicated," Harry sighed. "But he was right, I do have a very unique perspective on all of this".

Moody shook his head, confusion prevalent in his eyes.

"Are you a seer?"

Harry flinched involuntarily at the question but allowed a dark chuckle to escape him.

"I can assure you Auror Moody, my Divination skills are abysmal".

Moody huffed in frustration.

"Alright Potter," he conceded sarcastically. "Then what is this unique perspective?"

"Let's just say I know this man and what will happen if he is left unchecked. Make of that what you will".

Harry undid his charms and exited the room, leaving a very confused Alastor Moody in his wake.

The Auror exited the room immediately after and watched the retreating form of the teen calculatingly before he was hit with a preposterous yet logical realisation.

"He has to be a bloody time-traveler," he grumbled disbelievingly.

He heard another chuckle coming from the teen as he disappeared from sight, causing his eyebrows to rise comically.

He knew he would glean very little from the Potter boy, but Albus had some questions to answer, as would the boy if Alastor was not satisfied.

"No wonder I couldn't bloody find anything about him before," he growled. "The little shit didn't exist".

The Auror turned sharply and head back towards the headmaster's office, determined to hear some truth of his suspicions.

"Marshmallows," he gritted out as he approached the gargoyle.

The statue remained frozen.

"Marshmallows, you ignorant little bastard," he spoke again more clearly.

"The headmaster is sleeping and does not wish to be disturbed," was the snooty reply he was graced with before the creature reverted back to its unmoving state.

Moody growled and headed towards the exit, very unhappy that his questions would not be answered tonight.

"I'll be back tomorrow Albus," he vowed.

(BREAK)

For the best part of two days Harry had been focused on the list that Dumbledore had given him, many of the names familiar and some entirely unknown. He even spotted a few that he knew for sure were in fact Death Eaters, spies clearly planted by Tom to keep an eye on the headmaster.

He sighed as he looked upon the names he had chosen as those he knew to be trustworthy. Out of close to forty from the order alone only eight had made the cut and their abilities with a wand were questionable in some cases.

He had added the name of Frank Longbottom to this list as a man he knew he could rely on. He had spent a lot of time with him training the previous year after all and knew that he was worth five wands on his own.

He stilled his quill as he began to scratch the name of James Potter and shook his head in frustration. He was very much aware that the others will be furious with him for not including them when they found out, but he could just not bring himself to involve them in this. The incessant protectiveness he felt towards each and every one of them prevented their inclusion. In his own mind it was all well and good teaching them to defend themselves when necessary but leading them into battle was a whole different thing. He simply could not face the prospect of their blood being on his hands when he could completely take the possibility out of the equation.

He sighed deeply as he considered Charlus and Arcturus, again hesitant to include the two men. Charlus was one of those he had wanted to save and putting him directly in the line of fire did not sit well with him.

He had not even considered the difficulty of this task when it had been handed to him. But now, it was all he could think of. It was as though he had been given a coin, a list of names and a fifty-fifty chance for any he decided should join himself, Moody and Dumbledore. He just could not bring himself to flip it in most cases.

Fortunately, he had been largely left to his own devices. The NEWT year students had been inundated with homework with every class they attended, leaving little to no free time to take much interest in anyone else. Something that Harry suspected had been done on purpose with this particular year. The school had thus far been very quiet because of it, though he doubted such silence would last in this climate.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly as finished looking through the meagre number of names he had compiled. Shaking his head a final time he stood and stretched where had been sat in the library and made his way to the exit to meet with his two newest allies.

He had kept in regular contact with the headmaster throughout the previous day and even once today to keep him abreast of any developments. Tom had been surprisingly quick to reply to his letter and even agreeable to a meet. A little too agreeable if truth be told. It was clear that he knew something was afoot, those his suspicions were not voiced in the simple reply he had penned.

 _Harry,_

 _I am pleased that you are seeing sense. I am certain that the accord we so desperately need can be reached now that you are cooperating. I will of course meet you at your requested location if only to ease the tension I can sense through your words._

 _Lord Voldemort_

He knew. And Harry knew that he knew. He didn't expect for a single moment that Tom would fall for such a mediocre and unimpassioned trick. The only thing left to ascertain was, who would play their hand first.

The only advantage Harry held was that he knew Tom better than he was known by the man, and that held little comfort in this situation. It was clear to both what the outcome of the meeting would be, but both seemed content to continue the façade until the right moment.

Harry had of coursed informed Dumbledore the moment he had received the clarification that Tom would be where he had suggested, giving the man something to work with whilst strategizing, though he was certain that no amount of planning would suffice. A dangerous game was being played and there was a chance that it would end in catastrophe.

He entered the office just as he had two days past to find the men sat exactly as they had been before. Dumbledore was sat behind his desk, looking tired, nevertheless anticipatory. The man was as keen as any to end things before they truly begun, but his apprehension about the move they were making was obvious. His usually delicate features and twinkling blue eyes were more pinched than one would be accustomed to seeing, but to both Harry and Moody, the tension was visible.

The teen approached the desk as he removed to rolls of parchment and placed them on the desk before taking his seat.

"The one on the left are those that can be trusted," he said tiredly. "The other, people who are less than savoury".

Dumbledore nodded gratefully as he immediately read the second of the rolls, a frown deepening the further down the list he got.

"I see," he muttered. "I did have my suspicions," he admitted as he handed the list to Moody.

The man growled but said nothing. He chose to accept with only a nod.

"I've got a few myself willing to help," he finally spoke.

He removed a folded-up square of parchment from within his own robe and handed it to Harry. He nodded pensively as he perused the list, a few names familiar, some completely unknown.

"If you trust them then that is good enough for me".

Moody grunted and glared at the teen slightly.

"And what about you Potter? I don't like things being kept from me".

"Now is not the time Alastor," Dumbledore broke in with a hint of irritation. "We have discussed this".

Moody huffed, but did not broach the subject. Clearly the two men had had words. Words that did not end favourably for the Auror.

"You will know when the time is right and that is for Harry to decide".

Harry offered the headmaster a grateful bow. Although he had been at odds with the man in his own time, this Dumbledore appeared to be more willing to give him freedom, though he had very little choice in the matter. The backlash of revealing such information could very well be detrimental to their efforts. Not something the headmaster wanted to risk.

"So, we are all aware of the plan?" Dumbledore questioned.

Both Harry and Moody nodded firmly. It was all both had been pondering over the past couple of days.

"Then I will send the instruction to meet here tomorrow and we will all portkey. It will minimize the risk of any potential information leaks".

"There is one other thing," Harry sighed.

He was not particularly keen on going into any specific detail regarding the prophecy, but he felt compelled to at least give the two men a heads up.

Dumbledore frowned slightly but urged him to continue with an encouraging nod.

"Tom is mine," he stated a little more harshly than he had intended.

Dumbledore sighed deeply before he responded.

"Harry, my boy. Tom has decades of experience on you. I understand how gifted you are but a fight with him would not end well for you," he warned.

Harry smiled weakly as the enormity of his task made itself known to him as it had this past year and a half.

"It is destiny headmaster," he returned sadly. "Whether I like it or not, fate has decided that one of us must die at the hands of the other," he finished with a pointed look.

"Destiny?" Dumbledore whispered, his eyes widening at the implication of the words the boy had carefully chosen.

Harry nodded and offered the man a wry smile.

"Not a branch of magic I know well, but it must hold something if I am here".

"Indeed," Dumbledore concurred severely.

"Then you understand the importance of keeping everyone out of our way?"

The twinkling eyes of the headmaster carried an air of sorrow as he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

"I will do all I can to help you my boy," he whispered hoarsely.

Harry stood to leave, but only made it to the door before Moody spoke.

"Get some rest, Potter," Moody called gravely. "It seems as though you're going to need it".

Harry exited the room leaving two thoughtful men behind him.

Dumbledore sighed deeply as his gaze remained transfixed on the door the boy had just closed behind himself.

"An insurmountable task for one so young," he mumbled distastefully. "A life of suffering likely to end the same way".

"What the hell was he talking about, Albus?" Moody asked, the confusion clear in his tone.

"It seems as though young Harry has found himself a victim of fate," Dumbledore answered a little bitterly.

"Fate?" Moody probed.

"I believe a prophecy is in place," Dumbledore revealed, almost completely certain.

"As in Divination?" Moody scoffed.

"The very same," the headmaster agreed casually.

Moody barked with laughter but froze quickly when Dumbledore shook his head.

"You're serious?"

Dumbledore could only close his eyes as he shrugged.

"Just like Harry, I can't say I am either overly familiar with or gifted in such magic, but I can safely say I have born witness to many things much more wondrous than prophecies. The boy himself is proof of that".

Moody grumbled incoherently but did not dispute the claims of the headmaster. He was aware that the boy was an enigma of sorts, but he couldn't quite understand what that was. And until either Dumbledore or the lad spoke, it was something he would remain ignorant of.

"Then we just have to hope the boy has what it takes".

Dumbledore nodded.

"That we do, my friend," he agreed, his mind already on that very subject.

(BREAK)

He had planned on spending the day alone preparing for the impending confrontation with Tom, but the weight on his shoulders had never felt so cumbersome. Tonight, it could all come to an end, today however, he needed some respite. He was as excited as he was terrified, as ready to flee to the darkest corner he could find just as much as he almost salivated at the opportunity to face his foe. The moments of both extremes were sporadic, sudden. It was as though he was torn between both, yet he knew what was to come, what he must face.

As had been his habit since the violet-eyed young woman came into his life, he sought solace in her company, her mere presence lifting the weight from upon his shoulders to a point in which his legs no longer buckled under the strain. He thrived even, his heart soaring by her gentle ways, giving him the feeling of invincibility, he sorely needed right now.

The past few days had been isolated, the full force of the task at hand pushing down on him and suffocating him more than he thought possible. He knew that death was inevitable in the end and a part of him even expected it, but he would be the first to admit, that when he looked into the eyes of Bellatrix, held her in his arms as he inhaled her scent, he was not ready to face it. Not now he had people worth living for.

He swallowed deeply as he drew her into a tight hug, feeling her melt into the embrace.

"What's wrong?" the girl whispered, a hint of suspicion lacing her words.

Harry shook his head.

He had debated with himself from the moment he knew what was to come whether or not he should share it with her, share it with them all.

"Nothing, I've just missed you," he insisted, a sharp stab of guilt lancing through him at his own dishonesty.

Bellatrix simply pulled him closer and sighed in content.

More than any other, she understood his moods. He would have days as though he hadn't a care in the world and the boyish and even immature parts of him would shine through. But then there were days like today. Days in which she was reminded that Harry was not a mere boy. He was a warrior. Highly trained and ready to kill at a moment's notice. A warrior that would one day face down the tyrant that was attempting to subjugate the world to him. A tyrant that very few could stand against.

Harry was one of these few, so she understood.

She understood that there were times where the burden he carried would become a little too much and it was up to her to shoulder some of that.

That was her burden, but one she would carry gladly until her final breath just to make it all that little bit easier on the boy who had stolen her heart.

She pulled him tighter still and managed a slight smile as he physically decompressed and allowed some of the stress to fall away.

"Thank you," he whispered gratefully.

"Always," she replied seriously.

He eventually pulled away from her and she smiled at the sparkle the found its way in his emerald pools, a look that was only reserved for her.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before he clung to her once more.

Bellatrix took it in her stride as she always did. Today, he felt more desperate than he ever had for some reassurance. She couldn't however, hold that against him.

The tension within the school was enough to set anyone on edge. She herself felt the need of such assurance and it grew stronger the more the strange peace prevailed.

"How is it in the snake pit?" he asked.

Bellatrix shrugged.

"The same really, but it's only a matter of time".

Harry nodded stiffly.

"I know you can handle yourself, but stay sharp," he almost pleaded. "Things are going to get messy," he added cryptically.

Bellatrix nodded her agreement. If anyone understood what was to come, it was the boy holding her in his arms.

"You too," she returned with a slight scowl.

Harry chuckled darkly.

"I'm in the middle of all this," he reminded her unnecessarily. "I can't avoid it forever".

Bellatrix shot him a sad smile.

"Let's not talk about this today," he continued, wanting to change the subject quickly. "I just want a day with you, where we don't have to think of any of this".

Bellatrix beamed and hooked her arm through his enthusiastically.

"What shall we do with our day then?" she asked excitedly.

"As long as I get to spend it with you, I honestly don't care".

Bellatrix raised a well-manicured eyebrow at him as she stopped walking.

"That was very cheesy," she huffed. "You're lucky I already like you or I'd curse you for that".

Harry shook his head and snorted as he led her away once more.

"How about a walk in the forest?" he suggested.

"Now that is more like it," Bellatrix agreed readily.

The couple spent most of the day roaming the forest, listening for any approaching danger. Harry in particular was on alert. He knew what lurked amongst the trees here. His second-year trip into the Acromantula den was not an experience he would ever forget.

The day with Bellatrix was exactly what he had needed to keep himself from crumbling internally, though as day wore on, the weight began making its presence known once more. It was only when it reached close to the time that he had to meet with Dumbledore and Moody that they found themselves in the entrance hall, neither at all willing to part. Both for different reasons.

Bellatrix just simply wanted to remain in his company, to have him close to her. Something she craved always.

Harry's reasons were more out of fear. Fear of leaving her behind, fear of the reprisals he could face and fear that he would never lay eyes on her again on this plain.

He pulled her close and laid a gentle, yet passionate kiss on her lips.

"I love you," he whispered emotionally.

Bellatrix missed the agony in her eyes as she allowed herself to fall in his arms, a blush adorning her cheeks.

Harry was not always so outwardly emotional, but she could feel his words seep into her very being. The emotion behind them filled her with a warmth she never wanted to be without. And within that warmth is where one would find her ignorance.

So, indulged in that feeling she was that she completely missed the edge to his voice, the sorrow it held and the guilt that edged his words.

"You better," She mumbled into his chest. "I love you too," she added shyly, her words sincere as could be despite this.

He pulled away and gazed into her eyes, seeking out the assurance he needed in this moment.

"Tomorrow?" he questioned, his eyes and words full of promise.

Bellatrix could only nod as his stare penetrated her own. He always had such a way that made her feel exposed with only a look. Exposed but equally protected. Two contradictory things that one should never feel at the same time, yet she did. It was a strangely comforting feeling that she just could not explain. It was one of those feelings that words themselves failed to define. It just, was. It was a failure that needn't feel such thing. It was a feeling unto its own. Something words could never put into perspective.

She found herself enamoured once more by that boyish smile of his as he slowly and regretfully pulled away and began heading towards the staircase.

She smiled back, already looking forward to some more time with him the next day, something she would never tire of.

Harry eventually turned away, his eyes darkening as he swallowed the painful guilt that had begun to choke him. He began to allow his rage surface, the anger he always kept tightly within him. The anger born of a hard life. That life courtesy of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

He managed to keep it in check as he made his way through the corridors, changed into his dragonhide armour and even when he was accosted by the Marauders and the girls in the common room. He brushed them off as quickly as possible and swallowed down even more guilt. It did nothing but fuel his festering rage and as he made his way to the headmaster's office, his eyes glowed dangerously as his magic began baying for the blood of his enemy.

He managed to reign it in enough so that it trickled through him, only abated by the promise of retribution. His anger however would not be quashed in such a manner. It was something he had been struggling with since the night he had learnt the prophecy and it was now ready to be unleashed.

The Gargoyle surprisingly sprang aside upon his approach and he did not even break stride as he ascended the stairs and walked into the room without knocking.

It was much fuller than he had ever seen.

An assortment of witches and wizards, some he recognized, turned to face him as he entered, many wearing looks of surprise at his appearance.

A loud guffaw broke the silence that had fallen as an overly large man parted the crowd as he approached the teen.

"So, this is the one we were waiting for is it Albus?" he asked scornfully as he began pacing circles around Harry, sizing him up as he did so.

Harry took in his appearance but refused to be even remotely intimidated by the presence of the man. He had to admit, he would be intimidating to most. His eyes were hard, the eyes of a man that had experienced battle. His scraggly beard was a deep chestnut brown, as dark and as curly as the hair that adorned his head.

He did not even grace Dumbledore with the chance to reply as he continued to talk.

"You think that just because you have waved your wand in a dueling tournament that you can face a Dark Lord boy, hmm? Face those who will not hesitate to hit you with nastiest curses imaginable?"

Harry's carefully reined in fury began fraying the moment the man had opened his mouth and now, it would be repressed no more. His eyes began to glow eerily as he allowed his magic to surface, giving in to the emotional need for release.

His features darkened as a feral look made itself known. His magic crackled around him audibly as he glared into the man's eyes and smirked.

"You think I'm here for glory?" he spat.

The man was taken aback by the tone and even more so by the violent magic surrounding the boy.

"I want the bastard dead. Beyond that, you can tell the world you killed him for all I care. Or maybe you want to have a crack yourself? Be my guest," he offered with a dismissive shrug.

The shock of the man wore off quickly and he narrowed his eyes at Harry.

"I fought against Grindelwald, I will not be disrespected by a jumped-up little shit like you boy, I don't care what family you come from".

Harry stepped closer to the man until only an inch or so remained between them. Standing at his full height, he still had to glance upwards slightly to meet his eyes.

"And as I said, be my guest if you want to go first, I don't mind watching him rip you limb from limb".

"Benji," Dumbledore broke in harshly, his tone almost pleading his friend to stand down. "Our job tonight is to support Harry".

Benji turned sharply towards the headmaster, a look of shock gracing his face.

"You are expecting the boy to fight him?" he asked incredulously.

Dumbledore nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"I believe he is the only capable of ending this," he admitted unashamedly.

Benji laughed, though there was no trace of humour in it. It was disbelieving, and he continued to stare at the older man as though he was waiting for a punch line.

None came, and his frown deepened as he shook his shaggy head.

"If that is your plan, so be it," he conceded through gritted teeth. "But it will end badly," he added with a hiss.

He shot a final glare at Harry before he pushed his way through the crowd once more in an attempt to put as much distance between himself and the teen as possible.

"What's going on Harry?" a familiar voice whispered in his right ear.

He turned to find himself face to face with a confused looking Frank Longbottom and his father.

"We are ending it tonight," he answered simply.

Frank shook his head as his eyebrows rose.

"Well, where are James, Sirius and the others?" he probed further.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair, something Frank knew to be a sign of frustration or discomfort.

"I didn't tell them," he admitted, the regret clear in his voice.

"What the hell?" Frank hissed as he grabbed Harry's elbow in a tight grip.

Anger welled within the other boy as he snatched his limb away.

"I'm trying to keep them safe".

Frank snorted.

"You know they are capable. More capable than most of these," he added with a jerk of his head in the direction of the other occupants of the room.

"I will not lead them into a fight like this".

"And you think it's fair on them to do what you are? Have you not even thought about how they will feel when they find out?"

Harry shook his head irritably.

"I have," he whispered. "If I end this tonight then none of that will matter, they will be alive".

"They won't see it that way," Frank warned. "If they aren't here for you, why did you bother training them".

"To keep them safe," Harry bit back angrily. "To be able to defend themselves if necessary".

Frank was going to reply but was cut off by Harry.

"How about I go and get Alice and she can come along for the ride since you seem to be quite happy to throw the people you care about into something like this?"

Harry was being harsh, and he knew it. And no matter how angry he felt in this moment he couldn't stop the pang of guilt hit him as he watched Frank swallow deeply and nod in an understanding way.

"Look," he sighed. "I trust you Frank, just as much as I do them and certainly more than anyone else in this room, but I've made my decision, please just respect that".

Frank looked more uncertain than Harry had ever seen him, but he eventually nodded.

"Fine," he agreed. "But I don't like it. You should at least have your Dad and Lord Black here".

Another jolt of guilt passed through him as he was reminded of the internal debate he had been having over the last few days. He knew without doubt that both men would happily join him. It was he that could not risk it. Frank was the only one officially an Auror and the only one that he knew he couldn't stop, but also one of the few he trusted.

"Let's just get this done, then I will deal with all the people that are going to be mad at me for it".

Frank clapped him on the shoulder, the smile he offered lukewarm at best and the nod, stiff, but led him nonetheless to where the others gathered were grouping up to take the portkeys to their location.

"I still don't like it," Frank muttered. "But it is your choice and it's you that has to handle," he finished with a shrug.

Harry's lips were little more than a tight line as he sighed.

He knew that Frank was only looking out for him, but the younger Longbottom didn't know the whole story, he didn't understand why Harry was doing it this way. The biggest reason he came back, the most selfish reason, was to save the ones he loved from the fate that had befallen previously and if they hated them for it, then so be it. He could still be happy with the knowledge that they were alive and well. This simply was not a chance he could let pass.

Dumbledore had been handing out the portkeys to the order members and reached Harry last, offering him an encouraging, yet worried smile as he gave him a small phoenix made of stone.

It was clear that the headmaster was not entirely comfortable with the plan. He however chose to remain silent. His allegiance with Harry was not strong enough to voice his true concerns and he knew that if he did, Harry would cut ties and any potential ending to this conflict could be delayed significantly.

"Once we arrive, it shall be Harry's lead we follow," he instructed loudly over the small pockets of conversation that had picked up once more. "We are here to assist only," he concluded in severe tone.

"Do not engage Voldemort," Harry commanded firmly. "All I need is for you to keep his followers away".

A few shook their heads in disbelief. They had witnessed the aftermath of the attacks that this man and his sycophants had carried out and couldn't believe how determined this boy seemed to face him. Many would put it down to naivety. Blindness of the threat before him in favour of seeing the glory to be bestowed.

The more battle experienced became curious. There was something about this young man that screamed of danger, yet he equally gave off an air of comfort. There was something within this young man that couldn't be explained, it was just there. Something that is born of pain, something that is born of tragedy and something that is simply gifted through the endurance of hardship. One could not imagine what a boy from one of the most prominent families in the land could have experienced to make him this way, but those who knew could see it there in his eyes.

These few stood a little straighter, more willing to follow the younger man, just a little more faith in what they were about to attempt.

Benji Fenwick narrowed his eyes but grudgingly felt a little reassurance from the young man as he took in his demeanour. He waited respectfully for Albus and the boy to activate their portkeys first and he followed suit immediately after, quickly finding himself stood behind the duo as they looked upon what seemed to be a wall made of a thick, purple glass.

"What is that?" he asked suspiciously.

Neither men answered but simultaneously drew their wands, the older man pausing once his own was in hand. He would usually insist on investigating something such as this. This time however, he was more curious to see how the younger man would carry out such a thing. He had not had the opportunity to see the methodical side of Harry thus far and was quite keen to witness it.

He watched as the teen cast the standard diagnostic and detection charms one would when faced with such a challenge, pleased with the approach he had taken to begin with.

It was then that the boy managed to surprise him.

Harry placed his wand back within his holster and closed his eyes before placing his hand a mere inch away from the barrier, murmuring as he did so. Most would not understand this approach as very few had such a relationship with magic to even consider carrying out such a feat. The older man watched in awe as the boy felt the magic within the ward using his own, something that had taken himself many more years to achieve.

It was not an ability that was unheard of nor should it be as rare as it had become, but most witches and wizards were content with the fact that they had magic and did very little to understand it, let alone become one with it.

Harry Potter had done this and was actively using it to full effect.

The older man nearly called out in horror as Harry closed the small distance between his hand and the ward, physically touching the magical structure, something that shouldn't be done without complete and utter certainty.

"What is it Harry?" the headmaster questioned, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"Wards," the teen confirmed unnecessarily. "Shields, extremely powerful shields, a few triggers, illusionary and exclusion wards," he added with a shrug.

Dumbledore frowned as he pondered the wards before them.

"Nothing immediately dangerous?"

Harry shook his head.

"A trap ready to be activated," Harry replied casually.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Definitely his way," he muttered.

"So, what do we do?" Moody growled impatiently.

"Well, whatever you do, do not fire a spell at it," Harry warned. "We don't know what the trigger is, and I doubt any of us could break these shields without exhausting ourselves first".

Before any further consideration in what was to be next done could even begin, the group were interrupted by a voice that Harry could never forget, as much as he wished he could.

"I must confess, I find myself disappointed," the voice of Voldemort echoed around them. "I clung foolishly to the hope that I was merely being paranoid and that you would be as good as your word, Harry".

"You should never take a man at his word," Harry returned.

Voldemort chuckled darkly, the sound eerie enough to make the fine hairs on the back of the neck stand up.

"Indeed," he agreed amicably. "But you should at least have the fortitude to face me like a man and explain your reasoning don't you think? One wizard to another".

Harry made to step forward but was held firmly back by the hand of the headmaster.

"Do you think it wise?" he questioned severely.

Harry shrugged.

"Come now Harry, all I ask is a moment of your time for a private conversation. After all of my efforts in courting your favour, do you not think I'm am owed at least that much?"

"It's fine," Harry whispered.

A deep sigh permeated the space around them.

"I can assure you, my men are just as unable to interfere as your own. See for yourself if you do not believe me," the Dark Lord offered.

Harry once again drew his wand and created a one way looking glass, just big enough that he could see beyond the purple barrier.

"He's alone," he murmured.

"I must protest, Harry," Dumbledore interjected.

Harry shook his head.

"These wards will not let you pass and if by some miracle we could break them, most of us would be too exhausted to fight".

Dumbledore pulled his beard in irritation.

"I can end this now or we can leave and lose the chance," the teen pointed out. "They are our only options".

"I do not like it," the older man huffed.

"It doesn't look like we have much choice," Harry replied sagely.

"You will be in there entirely alone and at any second you could be outnumbered. We do not know how many of his followers' loom in the shadows".

"It won't be the first time will it?" Harry bit back.

Dumbledore sobered immediately as the memory of Harry in the graveyard played within his mind as it had countless times over the past year.

He nodded somberly yet, it was full of both regret and reluctance.

"He won't allow them to interfere, his ego won't allow it," Harry continued with certainty.

Again, the headmaster found himself agreeing. Once Tom knew how capable Harry was, he would want to end him himself. His ego would allow no other course of action.

"I still do not like it".

"It's the way that it should be," Harry whispered, a strange smile pulling at his lips. "Neither can live while the other survives".

Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly as he absorbed the words of the younger man.

"I will get us through as quickly as possible, if necessary," he vowed.

Harry nodded stiffly.

"But not unless you have to," he said firmly. "Between the two of us, you will all only be in the way".

Dumbledore swallowed deeply and nodded, he was in complete agreement. If a duel between Tom and Harry were to replicate the one between himself and Gellert, then any in the vicinity would be at risk.

"I'm waiting Harry. Surely, between the Blacks and Potters you were taught basic social etiquette?" the voice of Tom goaded.

"Harry, wait".

It was the voice of Frank that had him pausing his step this time around.

"Why are you doing this?" the man asked almost desperately.

"Because I have to," Harry answered truthfully.

Frank shook his head furiously.

"But you don't," he tried.

Harry snorted as he placed a hand on the others shoulder.

"I do," he reaffirmed. "If things go wrong in there my da.. James will explain," he promised.

It was clear that Frank did not know what to say. He could see that Harry would not go back on his decision, but every part of him screamed to try to stop him. He knew however, that he couldn't. He instead pulled the younger man into a tight hug.

"If anyone can do it Harry, it's you," he whispered.

Harry clapped him firmly on the back before he stepped through the wards to face fate head on. For Harry, fate had taken on the guise of a mad man bent on having their world pulled to heel, to cater to his every whim and to become nothing more than his very own orchestra that would create any symphony he wished to hear.

"Ahh Harry, it is good to see you," the Dark Lord declared dramatically.

The man frowned as he took in the appearance of his counterpart. The boy had dressed for battle, that much was clear, it was however his expression that left him feeling more than a little perturbed.

It was blank.

If the boy was feeling fear, he certainly wasn't showing it. It had been many years that Tom Riddle had parlayed with another and not sensed the overwhelming fear oozing from a potential enemy. Yet, here stood barely a man approaching him as though they were to share an amiable meal.

' _The foolishness of youth,"_ he chuckled internally.

The two did nothing but stare at one another for a few moments, each simply taking in the appearance of the other.

For the Dark Lord, it was an opportunity to attempt to feel anything coming from the boy, to see if his eyes betrayed any emotion that would favour this confrontation. Once more, he found himself lacking answers. The emerald orbs of the boy were speculative, a gentle inferno giving only an indication of depth and power, but nothing more. The teen was courageous, it was undeniable, but there was something a little more unsettling about him that the Dark Lord could not fathom in this moment.

He smirked slightly as he remembered himself in his more youthful years. It was almost like looking in a mirror several decades into the past and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt a slight chill pass through him as he took in every aspect of the boy he could. They even looked quite similar, though admittedly, the boy looked much healthier than he had at that age. It had been a time when he had attempted some unfavourable magic that had left him rather unwell for a fairly long period.

Harry took the passing moments to compose his mind and magic for the inevitable confrontation. The man that stood before him was not the monster he faced in the graveyard or at the ministry, but the essence of that creature was prominent within the Tom that stood opposite him. The way he stood, the intelligence that danced in his crimson eyes and feeling of his presence were all apparent. The only differences were that this Tom had his original body and was yet to have the inherent malice within his gaze every time he had laid it upon the boy that stood before him.

It was an advantage for the teen and he knew that Tom was far too partial to toying with his foes. His confidence in his own abilities, though not unfounded, made him arrogant and feel invincible.

Harry knew differently however. Tom was merely a man, doubtlessly beyond the norm in skill and ability, but still, only a man. He had learnt the hard way throughout his years, that if something breathed and bled, then it could be killed.

He just had to find a way.

"You both wound an insult me, Harry," the Dark Lord sighed. "Did you truly believe that I would fall for such an elementary trick? Did you not think I would prepare for such an eventuality accordingly?"

Harry smirked in response as he shrugged.

"Not really," he replied honestly. "But it means we are here on even footing," he added, gesturing towards the wards that surrounded them.

"Touché," Voldemort offered with a respectful nod. "But we are not on equal footing as you so foolishly believe. These wards are in my control and I choose when they come down," he pointed out. "So, it is you that finds yourself at a disadvantage. It is you that have placed yourself in such a quandary".

Harry laughed mirthlessly as he held the smug gaze of the other man.

"Am I missing something Harry? I see no amusement in your situation," the Dark Lord growled.

"It is you that finds yourself in a quandary, Mr. Gaunt," the teen returned. "The wards may be yours, but your arrogance will not allow you to call for the help you have brought. You will want to make an example of me personally. How would it look to those that follow you if you needed aide to handle one man, a seventeen-year-old one at that?"

The Dark Lord flared his nostrils in irritation. Those were his intentions entirely, though how the boy could know his course of action so well was beyond him.

He applauded the boy slowly, his respect for his foe growing more so.

"You are indeed, correct," he clarified with a shallow bow. "But that means you are under the assumption that you can best me," he continued as he began to pace back and forth, his eyes continuing to bore into his still unyielding opponent. "You are gifted, that I can admit, but those you have faced are not me Harry. Antonin could last barely a moment and Randolph, as moronic as he can be, is an exceedingly gifted warrior in his own right yet, he would last even less so".

Harry raised an eyebrow in the direction of the other man.

"Oh, do not worry Harry. I said that our conversation would be private and so it is, though my men and women would not deny the truth of my words".

"And that is your weakness," Harry answered softly. "Your belief that there is no other that can equal your might with a wand".

Voldemort smirked and shook his head.

"Now that is where you are wrong, Harry," he denied vehemently. "It is the intent in which I use my wand and magic that separates myself from the others. There are many that are gifted but choose not to use it. Not like us though, Harry. I can feel your magic, yes, it is very well tuned to yourself and your relationship with it is remarkable. But there is something you are lacking, boy," he spat the final word.

Harry cocked his slightly, willing the man to continue.

"Experience," Voldemort sighed. "You have the potential to be great, perhaps one day as great as me, but I have several decades more of experience, of magical knowledge".

Harry hung his head and swallowed deeply.

The Dark Lord sighed.

"You have challenged me Harry, and for that, you must be punished," he explained almost tenderly as he watched the teen in front of him deflate. "But, if I am to make an example of you, do you not think we should allow our guests to witness it firsthand? Perhaps then they will understand the power I wield. Perhaps then it will make them all think twice about defying me".

Harry remained still, his eyes closed tightly as Tom withdrew his wand and waved it a few times causing the wards around them to become translucent.

"Again, you both surprise and disappoint me," Voldemort spoke, his tone not entire able to conceal the shock as he looked upon those that had accompanied Harry.

In this moment, he was grateful that he had not lifted the wards to allow a full-scale battle to erupt. He had chosen the very best he himself had, the uppermost ranking Death Eaters to accompany him, but he knew they would unlikely be a match for the likes of Dumbledore, Moody and Fenwick. The three of them by themselves would more than likely be able to handle the force he had brought. He certainly had not expected this. He had expected the boy to bring his family and perhaps the Lord Black at least and some lesser men. Those, he believed, his men could handle, but not this ensemble of people.

He laughed, pleased he had taken the steps he had thus far.

"Again, you show your inexperience," he chided. "You have much more battle-worn men in your midst and chose to confront me by yourself. Foolish boy," he spat angrily, genuinely disappointed for such an amateur error.

He was brought up short by the throaty laughter that escaped the younger man.

"Don't you see that this is what I wanted?" Harry questioned darkly.

And it was, he had somewhat planned for this. He hadn't taken into account the possibility of wards or the situation exactly how this had panned out, but it was his intention. He had planned on confronting Tom alone, if possible. His mission from Croaker had been to limit the lives lost in this conflict as much as he could after all. This way, he got to have what everyone had wanted. They wanted lives preserved and he wanted his opportunity to end Tom before he became what he would, on his terms, just the two of them.

"You wanted this?" the Dark Lord questioned disbelievingly, his voice skeptical though uncertain at the turn of events.

"Oh yes Tom, I wanted this more than I have ever wanted anything in my life," Harry spoke in just above a whisper, his tone unmistakably dangerous.

The Dark Lord's eyes widened at the use of his given name, but even more so when the boy raised his head to meet his eyes.

Fury. That is what he saw. Pure unadulterated rage oozed off of the younger man and he found a dozen questions flowing through his mind as the wand of the boy snapped upwards in his direction, a hair-raising blasting curse ploughing towards him at an unimaginable speed.

He deftly dodged the spell and winced as it crashed into the wards behind him causing a large explosion to echo around his ears, followed by a grating sound as the final defense of his work triggered. Although it was not visible, a large metal barrier had appeared within the wards leaving the two men completely alone within the construct with no outside interference possible in the impending duel.

"What did you call me, boy?" the Dark Lord hissed angrily.

Harry grinned triumphantly at the expected reaction.

"Tom," he confirmed casually. "That is your name is it not? Tom Marvolo Riddle. Son of Merope Gaunt and a muggle," he finished as he sidestepped the returning fire from the man.

"Dumbledore," the Dark Lord gritted out as he spared a glance to his visible former Transfiguration professor.

"No," Harry denied gleefully. "I just know you Tom, more than you would ever believe," he added with a sickening smile.

Voldemort balked at the expression of the boy. He was clearly deranged, that was the only explanation for how he could be smiling in such a way in the face of inevitable death. The smile however was superficial, the rage he had noted before was prevalent as ever. How could one young man have so much fury towards him? He had never overtly attempted to anger the boy nor done anything that would justify such a reaction. But it was there. A rage that could only be born from pain and suffering at those that had caused it?

He was curious.

He had barely met the boy and had actively avoided causing him grievance in favour of attempting to recruit him. It made no sense to the Dark Lord. The rage was unjustifiable, and he needed to know, he needed to understand.

"What was it I did to create such anger within you Harry?" he questioned genuinely.

The younger man simply growled before unleashing a flurry of fatal curses in his direction forcing him to shield and dodge to escape the onslaught. The deranged look had yet to shift and the boy's eyes visibly glowed as he continued to glare at the Dark Lord, stalking towards him and almost begging for a retaliation.

"So be it," Voldemort muttered as he complied, firing a string of his own violent curses in return.

Again, he found his eyes widening as the boy moved with inhuman speed to avoid every last spell, not one coming close to hitting its intended target.

The Dark Lord grinned in anticipation. Perhaps this fight would present some kind of challenge, something he had not experienced in many years.

(BREAK)

Dumbledore and those gathered around him waited in silence for what seemed an eternity before the wards became transparent enough for them to see into the area in which Harry had entered to confront Voldemort, none seemingly able to find any words to say and each with differing emotions.

Dumbledore had been nervous for the young man, still convinced that the idea was foolish. He had allowed it despite his feelings on the matter and the more that time passed, the more his nervousness grew.

Frank was little more than a wreck. Though his pureblood upbringing held firm and he managed to conceal much of his anguish, his inner turmoil continued to threaten to spill out of him. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry but more than anything else he wanted to be in there with Harry, to have his back as Harry would have his.

The amount of time that passed was inordinate, but finally those gathered could see what was happening and many relieved breaths were released as all appeared to be okay. More than a few however visually flinched as the Dark Lord stood before them. Although the wards stood between them, his presence could be felt, and many could not suppress the shudder that worked its way through them as they took in his overwhelming appearance.

"Shit," Frank whispered.

The eyes of the man widened in slight surprise as his gaze swept across them all, seemingly staring directly into their souls.

"He did not expect us," Moody growled, his calm demeanour as always, unwavering.

"He did not," Dumbledore agreed. "But this may make it even more dangerous for Harry".

"What do we do?" Frank questioned.

Any reply that could be made was cut off as the wards were struck with a forceful spell, causing them all to flinch once again.

"That decision is no longer in our hands," Dumbledore sighed.

The group watched as the two men traded spells and even words, (though none could be heard) with rapt attention.

"Potter is very quick," one exclaimed, clearly surprised as he watched spell after spell leave the boys wand seamlessly.

"And powerful," Lord Longbottom praised as Voldemort's shield broke under what seemed to be an overpowered blasting curse.

Frank snorted.

"You have no idea," he mumbled.

(BREAK)

The Dark Lord was wary. Already, the boy had hit him with two spells and none of his had managed to either penetrate Harry's shields or catch him in his movements. His left forearm was broken and his shoulder on the same arm throbbing from where a Bludgeoning Curse had clipped him. He was grateful that he had been hit by such rudimentary spells, but he was deeply unhappy that it had happened at all.

Again, he had underestimated the boy and it had cost him. He would not allow such folly any longer.

He grimaced as he avoided another onslaught of spells and applied a numbing charm to the affected areas. He was done toying with Harry, he needed to learn his place.

He swept his wand across the breadth of his body in an exaggerated manner, willing his magic to carry out his desire and smirked victoriously as an enormous wall of jet-black flames charged towards the teen.

He found himself shocked once more as the teen simply walked through them, completely unharmed by the cursed fire. He recovered quickly enough to fire off a series of sickly yellow and blue curses designed to pull the muscles away from the bones and turn the innards to a jelly-like substance.

The Dark Lord frowned at the smirk the boy wore as the devastating spells intended to end him came ever closer. His eyes glowed ever brighter before he dematerialized into a wispy black smoke, vanishing from sight completely.

He sensed him instinctually rather than felt the presence of the boy as he appeared behind him. He turned abruptly only to feel his head snapped backwards with tremendous force and he found himself sat on the floor, the bitter taste of iron filling his mouth as his now broken nose bled freely over the front of his robes.

He was in complete disbelief for little more than a blink of an eye. The boy had physically assaulted him as though he were a common muggle thug and he was still smirking.

The Dark Lord roared in a rage equal to that he had seen in Harry's eyes just moments ago and wandlessly banished his foe with all of his power, sending him sprawling across the ground.

Voldemort nimbly sprung to his feet as he fixed his nose as best he could in the moment before screaming once more, whipping his wand upwards, causing the ground between himself and the teen to splinter into hundreds of small chunks of stone. With nothing more than a flick, his wand guided the debris into the air, a further flick urging the razor-sharp stones to attack the boy.

Harry was cut a few times before he could react. The pieces had flown towards him before he could gather his footing and had slice deep gashes into his face and shoulder. With a growl he waved his wand and the relentless debris about turned and shot towards his opponent, transfiguring into spears on their ways.

A stream of white flames put an end to their progress and the Dark Lord took a moment to breathe as he looked upon the teen intent on killing him as his flames crackled into nothingness.

He was loath to admit it, but the boy was indeed a worthy opponent. It had been almost countless years since he had last faced a challenge such as this and he knew, in this moment, he had stagnated in the stamina department. Never had anyone been able to stand so long against him and continue to fight the way Harry was now.

He had to end it. Not only for himself but also for those watching. It would not do well for any to doubt him on both sides of the conflict.

The two men circled each other, two giants amongst men intent on finishing the other. Without warning, they both began firing off spell after spell in a dazzling display of speed and power, a morbidly beautiful array of colourful magic that those who witnessed it would never forget.

The two opponents weaved, dodged and simultaneously cast with precision and intent that none would believe possible, even in the realm of magic where what would seem impossible was made possible daily.

The destruction left in their wake was a sight to behold and as the smoke cleared, as the dust settled, there they stood, neither unharmed, both breathless but still standing nonetheless.

Blood seeped from an assortment of wounds and both faltered in their steps as they circled once more, each sporting their fair share of injuries.

Harry winced as a wound in his leg burnt painfully, his breathing labored from at least a few broken ribs, but he was not done, far from it. He had prepared for this, he had trained for this and he refused to admit defeat until his final, albeit pained breath left his body.

The Dark Lord's condition was equally poor as the skin around his neck and shoulder pulled tightly from a Searing curse he had fallen victim to caused him to grimace. It felt almost anti-climactic to the man. Here he stood having undoubtedly the fight of a lifetime and yet, there seemed to be no build up, no rivalry in which to speak of. Nothing had truly happened between the two to culminate in such a heated confrontation. It was almost a shame that he would have to kill the boy in what felt like a premature way.

They were both titans, that he would admit without an ounce of grudge, but there was no place for two people such as this in their somewhat small world. Oh, the boy had impressed him beyond belief, used spells even he had never seen but he had to go. He was ashamed to admit it but before him stood a true threat, the possibility of a true rival, but one he could not allow to develop as much as he could.

He had undoubtedly underestimated the capabilities of the young man before him. He had seen him duel in France, but that boy was a shade of the one that stood before him. He had been held back by rules and regulations there, but here, he could cast and fight as freely as he liked without such hindrances. Yes, the Dark Lord was impressed, impressed enough to want the man that stood before him out of his way before he could become any more of a threat.

" _Avada Kedavra,"_ he spat almost regretfully.

Harry managed to avoid the curse by simply falling to ground, unable to muster the ability to dodge the spell nor having the time to conjure a physical shield. He heard the clang of metal as it collided with the wards surrounding them. He had not been idle during his descent to the ground however. He gathered every last ounce of magic he possessed and stabbed his wand into the ground, the wood sinking into the stone as though it were made of water.

There was no incantation, only intent as he willed his magic to respond to his wish.

The Dark Lord frowned as the ground beneath them began to tremble and crack underfoot, a large fissure opening up between himself and the downed teen.

It was an act of desperation on Harry's part, one final push to end the man that had robbed him of his childhood, of his friends and of the future he should have had. There was no skill involved, no wonderous piece of magic he had learnt, only instinct and faith that his magic would carry out his intent in his most needing of moments.

A bright geyser of pure magic erupted between the two combatants from under the ground and exploded with what could only be described as biblical, a monumental occasion that could rarely, if ever, be seen again.

Voldemort's eyes widened in panic as he conjured his most powerful shield and witnessed the boy that caused such a thing do the very same. It was not enough however to prevent either being thrown through the air and crashing into opposite sides of the wards, the magic following only a brief second later causing them to collapse entirely.

For a few moments, nothing happened.

The Dark Lord laid sprawled across what remained of the floor, the feeling that every bone in his body had been reduced to dust throbbing within every fiber of his being. He could barely breathe as he fought to stay awake in the hope that his followers were there to retrieve him.

He needed help and he knew it. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't move an inch and his magic was depleted to a dangerously low level.

"Abraxus," he managed cough weakly.

The man in question crawled next to him, not looking his usually well-groomed self.

It quickly became apparent that none within the room escaped the destruction of the magic as his followers found their way to him, each injured and ruffled in their own way.

"No," he called weakly, but with as much authority as he could as he noted Randolph beginning to approach the unmoving teen that had been flung some distance away, wand in hand.

LeStrange frowned questioningly as he looked upon his fallen leader.

"He's mine," Voldemort commanded as firmly as he could.

He knew that he did not have the energy to even cast a lumos charm as things were but, even in his deplorable state, he wanted to be the one to finish the boy, even if it couldn't be this day.

LeStrange nodded grudgingly, not at all keen to displease the man after the display he had just witnessed between the two wizards.

"I believe it is time to go, My Lord," Abraxus broke in as he gestured towards the gingerly approaching Dumbledore and his companions.

Voldemort could only nod weakly before himself and his own followers disappeared in a series of activated portkeys, appearing back within Riddle Manor.

"I want him punished Abraxus," he demanded. "See to it that those he holds dear are held responsible for his actions today".

Abraxus Malfoy nodded resolutely as he helped his master to his room to tend to his injuries as best he could.

The Dark Lord smiled as he drank the pain relief potion and felt his injuries alleviate somewhat.

He had promised the boy that he would die last and because of his own youthful foolishness, it was a promise he now intended on keeping. The day would come when they would meet again, but for now, he was content to make the life of Harry Potter as painful and miserable as he possibly could.

He frowned slightly.

The boy had proven to be right about one thing however. He had indeed insisted that he would finish him. Randolph could have ended his life on the Dark Lord's behalf, but he had prevented it. Not only did he want the pleasure of taken his life, the boy had made him even more curious than he ever had been about another before.

"You truly are an enigma, Potter," he whispered as unconsciousness finally claimed him.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet as quickly as possible, his head throbbing uncomfortably as he did so as he attempted to shake off the concussion-like feeling he was no experiencing courtesy of Harry Potter.

He spotted said boy some distance away in a heap on the ground, clearly having been deposited there during the peak of his own spell. With his wand in hand he approached and raised it as he caught sight of Tom and his followers, ready to attack the group, to put an end to what Harry had begun this evening.

Before he could even consider a spell however, they disappeared leaving him sighing in frustration.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Moody growled from behind him.

"A feat that very few could manage and live to speak of it," the headmaster answered cryptically.

Moody huffed knowing that it would be the only answer he was going get on the subject.

"Is he dead?" he asked with little tact that would always be expected from the man.

It was Frank that reached his downed friend first and turned him over so that he could look upon his face. Relief flooded through him as Harry's eyes fluttered.

"Did I get him?" he asked weakly,

"I'm afraid not, Harry," Dumbledore broke in.

The boy sighed in disappointment.

"Next time," he vowed as his eyes closed.

Moody shook his head.

"I've never seen anything like it," he admitted.

"I find myself impressed," Benji Fenwick declared.

Dumbledore nodded his agreement. The two men had truly proven to be equals in the arena, but he knew that Harry needed to be better than Tom, being equal was not enough.

"What's happening to him?" Frank questioned urgently as he continued to lean over his friend.

Harry had begun convulsing violently, a thick foam now trickling from the corners of his mouth.

"I don't know," Dumbledore admitted worriedly as he took a knee on the other side of the boy and began waving his wand furiously.

"Do something," Frank urged desperately.

Dumbledore tried several spells to cease the effects that overcome the boy and he let out a relieved sigh as he fell still once more.

He however found himself frowning soon after as he appeared to stop breathing altogether.

He placed a hand over Harry's chest, his frown deepening as he felt a heartbeat, a weak one, but present nonetheless.

"He needs help, immediately," he declared, his usually unflappable countenance all but absent.

With a surprising display of speed and strength, the headmaster scooped the other man from the ground and let out a shrill whistle, the duo disappearing in a burst of fire less than a second later.

"What's happening?" Frank asked.

His father shook his sadly.

"I don't know," he admitted ruefully. "But if it has Dumbledore panicked, then it must be bad".

The now somber men and women quickly departed, most heading home and one straight to Hogwarts where he knew his friend would be.

It would be of little comfort to Frank that somewhere unknown to him, the Dark Lord was experiencing the same fate as Harry.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was unaware of the panic surrounding his almost lifeless body as those around him attempted to keep from death's grasp.

All he knew was pain and darkness, something he had not experienced since his childhood years in the orphanage, something he vowed he would never be faced with again.

And yet, here he was.

Reliving the worst moments of his life all thanks to a boy he had unknowingly orphaned himself, he too unable to take comfort in the fact that his adversary was suffering equally so.

 **A/N**

 **Another one done and dusted guys and you have my apologies for how long it took to get put out there. I was stumped for a while on how I wanted the rest of this to play out, but I think I have it all figured now.**

 **The story will really pick up in the next chapter and will take quite a dark turn in some aspects and we shall see how Bellatrix and the rest react to this.**

 **She will be taking a much more central role now and we shall begin to see shades of how she was in the future. Who doesn't love Bellatrix with some of her sanity frayed?**

 **Anyway, thank you all as always for the continued support, messages and reviews.**

 **With that said, keep them coming, they truly do keep us writers motivated to write more.**

 **TBR**


	14. A Tryst With Death

**Chapter 14: A Tryst With Death**

Albus Dumbledore looked upon the young, unconsciousness man before him, his head shaking with a mixture of sadness and disbelief. The sadness because the necessity for the young man to possess such prowess in his youthful years and the disbelief that one had actually achieved such a level of skill at such an age. He had only allowed such emotions to overcome him once the school matron had healed the aesthetic wounds, something that had taken a surprisingly short amount of time, much to his relief. The cuts and bruises had been handled with relative ease, the broken bones however, would take more time. That is not to mention the potential damage Harry had caused to his magic.

According to the healer, the teen had depleted his reserves to a dangerously low level and she could not even hazard a guess at the impact this would have on him. She was hopeful that he would recover completely, perhaps even be better off in the long wrong, but she could not be certain on anything at this point.

He was alive, that was all she could ascertain with confidence.

The aged headmaster sighed deeply as he thought back to battle he had witnessed. Albus Dumbledore had seen and achieved great things himself, prided himself on the fact that he was no longer easily impressed. But Harry Potter had impressed him beyond anything he could have ever expected. The magic the young man wielded was nothing short of breath-taking and it had been clear that Tom too had struggled to comprehend such skill.

The old man shook his head once more.

He himself had an impressive arsenal of magic, spells he had created and many he had gathered over the years from tomes of old, lost and forgotten with the passing of time, but Harry Potter too clearly had magic that most could only dream of possessing, spells that Albus had only heard whispers of or briefly mentioned in the aforementioned tomes.

Harry fading into the shadows as little more than a smoky fog had been the first indication of such skill.

Dumbledore had heard of such things, mostly from legends of the once great shadow mages that lived amongst them, eventually hunted into extinction because of their darker ways. These men took their knowledge to the grave with them and none had been able to replicate such feats since. Until Harry Potter arrived that is.

Albus scratched at his chin, deep in thought.

" _Perhaps such a thing is no longer uncommon from where Harry comes from,"_ he mused.

Such things would have to wait however, he now had the duty of the headmaster to uphold and inform the young man's family of what had transpired this evening, a conversation with Charlus and Dorea he was not at all looking forward to.

With a final glance towards the occupied bed, he exited the hospital wing and began heading towards his office, thoughts of the impending conversation with Potters quelling the curiosity that had begun percolating within his mind.

(BREAK)

Frank Longbottom paced outside the gates of Hogwarts, frustrated that he had found them locked, though he should have expected such a thing in times like these. He had already spent several minutes contemplating his next move and this time spent did nothing but cause his frustration to grow.

He cursed under his breath at his own foolishness and fired off a patronus, destined for those who would know how to get him in. It just so happened that one of them was the one he needed to talk to first.

All he could do now was hope they would wake. Until then, he would have to wait, his panic continuing to aggravate him further.

(BREAK)

James Potter was pulled from his peaceful slumber as the wards around his bed were triggered by a foreign magic. He had learnt the hard way over the last year to not be so no negligent whilst sleeping. Twice he had been caught out by Harry and Sirius, but no more. His wand was in his hand in an instant, pointed towards the bright light that had invaded his space, a curse ready on his lips.

He found his eyes unable to open of their own accord, the brightness of the spell preventing that ability. He deftly rolled from his bed to the floor to buy a moment in order for his bearings to establish themselves in his sleep addled mind. He was caught short however as a familiar voice made itself known.

" _I'm at the gates, you have to let me in. It's about Harry"._

For a second, James could only stare at the space that had previously been occupied by the ethereal hawk before he clambered to his feet and began dressing quickly.

"What is it Prongs?" the sleepy voice of Sirius startled him.

"Frank needs to speak to me about Harry," he whispered in response.

"At 1:30 in the morning?" Sirius questioned irritably as he noted the time.

James shrugged.

"He's at the gate now".

Sirius nodded before he stretched and sat up, pulling the clothes he wore the previous day from the floor and attempting to dress in the darkened room.

"Just go back to sleep, Sirius," James chuckled as he watched his friend struggling with the task at hand.

"You're not going alone, how do you know it's even Frank?"

"It was his voice and his patronus".

Sirius shook his head.

"If it's about Harry, then I'm coming," he said firmly.

James nodded.

"Shall we wake the others?"

Again, Sirius shook his head.

"Full moon is in two days," he reminded the other. "Let me Moony sleep. Wormy won't wake up even if you fired a blasting curse under his bed".

James snorted at the truth of the statement. The boy was near impossible to rouse.

He removed his invisibility cloak from his trunk and waited for the other boy to finish getting dressed before gesturing him to follow.

"What about the map?" Sirius whispered as they reached the thankfully empty common room.

"We gave it to Harry to look after when we went flying yesterday," James reminded him. "It'll be in his trunk and there's no way we can get in there".

Sirius sighed.

It would be foolish to even attempt to get into the trunk. It wasn't exactly protected with prank spells and he was quite certain that if they were to try, they would be spending a considerable amount of time in the hospital wing at the very least.

"Just like old times then," Sirius deduced.

James nodded and sent off a patronus of his own to Frank, instructing him to meet them at the Shrieking Shack before draping the cloak over himself and Sirius and making their way from the castle.

"It's quiet tonight," he murmured as they reached the entrance hall having met no one on their journey.

Sirius hummed his agreement. The castle being this quiet was not unusual, but it felt wrong with so much happening outside its walls.

They remained unimpeded as the door opened as easily as it always had on their night time excursions and made their way to whomping willow, neither missing a step as James fired a mild bludgeoning curse towards the knot at the base to still its movements.

The cloak was no longer necessary once they were within the tunnel, so James folded and pocketed it as the pair made their way towards the shack, both with wands in hand.

"Why would Frank call for you in the middle of the night?" Sirius suddenly questioned, his tone edged with concern.

"He only said it was about Harry," James muttered in response.

Sirius frowned, his mind now much clearer than it had been when he had first woken.

"And it couldn't wait until morning?"

James shrugged.

"It was definitely his voice and patronus," he replied confidently.

Sirius nodded as the two continued on their way. He knew a voice could be altered, but a patronus was not something that could be faked. Both had seen Frank's form many times over the previous year as they practised, and Sirius had more than enough faith in his friend to be able to recognise it, even in his most sleepy of states.

They eventually reached the trap door and entered the shack, both wands of light sweeping across the room into the very corners.

" _Homenum Revelio,"_ Sirius whispered, just to be completely certain. "Only one person outside," he confirmed.

James nodded and aimed his wand towards the front door of the property. It had been warded well, but he had found a way quite some time ago to transfigure it briefly, though it would only work from the inside of the property. The one and only time he had attempted it from the outside had ended very painfully for him and he was not keen on experiencing that outcome again any time soon.

"Quick, get in here," James hissed as he struggled to hold his spell in place.

The duo was greeted by the sight of a very pale Frank Longbottom as he crossed the threshold, both a mixture of concern and relief on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here, Frank?" Sirius questioned as he levelled his wand at the man.

"Harry fought the Dark Lord," he blurted out.

It took a moment for his words to sink, but when it did, both began firing a myriad of questions at him at a pace in which he could not even comprehend what was being said.

"We haven't got time for this," he hissed irritably. "I…I think he could be really hurt. Dumbledore brought him back here".

Without a further word, James turned and began stalking back towards the school, a lead-weight of differing emotions warring within him. He was terrified that Harry had indeed been hurt as Frank suspected. He was equally furious that Harry had done such a thing without even talking to him first, and he already planning the most brutal retribution he would dispense amongst any that followed the Dark Lord.

Sirius too was in a similar state, though disbelief currently took precedence. Harry had spent hours, days and weeks even training himself and the rest, only to leave them behind when it mattered most. He was scared that because Harry had been so stubborn, they would all suffer the loss of the boy that had ingrained himself in their lives so seamlessly.

He shook his head as he matched James's pace, neither even considering putting the cloak on as they exited the tunnel and made their way back to the castle with Frank following closely behind.

"Hospital wing," James stated, his voice hollow.

Using the knowledge of the school's secret passages, they reached said room within only a few minutes, the Potter amongst them hammering on the door upon arrival. His hammering persisted until the door opened, only for the three to be confronted by a very unimpressed school matron.

"My s..brother is in there," James growled.

The school matron's eyes softened as she took in who stood outside her door. She had seen them together throughout the school over the past year, had seen how close they all were and how much time they spent in the company of the young man she was currently treating.

"I can't let you in," she explained apologetically. "Headmaster's orders".

James nodded stiffly and turned, his stalking now aimed towards the office of Albus Dumbledore.

Any sense of social decorum in regards to time were forgotten. He wanted answers, and he would get them immediately, even if it meant blasting his way into the man's office.

(BREAK)

Both Charlus and Dorea sat stunned opposite the grave figure of Albus Dumbledore as he seemingly waited for one of them to break the prevailing silence. Dorea, looked simply stunned and Charlus confused. A confusion that was quickly giving way to fury.

The Headmaster had explained all that had transpired this evening and both, in their sleep addled minds, were clearly digesting what it was they had heard.

"Why?" Charlus ground out.

He was beyond anger and could not trust himself to speak. He wanted nothing more than to strangle the man before him with his bare hands for allowing such a thing to happen.

He inhaled deeply, allowing clearer thoughts to make themselves known.

Dumbledore sighed before rubbing tiredly at his eyes.

"I suspect it has more to do with the reason that he first came here," he said softly. "Where he came from, you had all been taken from him before he was old enough to know who any of you truly were," he offered.

Charlus nodded grudgingly. It made sense just from what he had seen in the boys' memories the first day they had met. It did very little to quell his anger however.

"Is he okay?" Dorea broke in with a whisper.

Dumbledore nodded, though it was lacking much confidence.

"Physically he seems to be fine, magically, it remains to be seen".

Dorea shook her head.

Before another word could be spoken, one of the portraits on the wall coughed to garner the attention of the Headmaster.

"Albus, there seems to be three young men at the entrance to the office very keen on entering. One is threatening to force entry if necessary," the elderly woman explained calmly.

"Thank you Dilys," Dumbledore sighed.

He flicked his wand towards the door, signalling the guardian to allow them in. It was only a few seconds later that James Potter crossed the threshold, his expression wrought with conflicting emotions, with Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom in tow.

"What happened?" James ground out, his steely gaze flickering between his parents and the Headmaster.

"Perhaps I should show you rather than attempting to explain with words," Dumbledore suggested.

James nodded stiffly, and Dumbledore summoned his penseive before withdrawing a thin, silvery strand from his temple.

"Not me," Frank exclaimed. "I don't need to see it again".

"Then you should head home," Charlus instructed. "We will need to discuss family business as it is".

Frank bowed his head in understanding.

"We will let you know how he is doing," Sirius promised.

The man offered him a grateful nod before exiting the office. Knowing that he would be kept informed had made him relax considerably.

The remainder of the group exited the pensieve an inordinate amount of time later, all reeling from the duel they had witnessed.

"I've never seen anything like it," Charlus exclaimed.

"I must admit, much of what I have witnessed tonight has surprised me also," the Headmaster admitted.

"I didn't know he could do that," James muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What was that thing with the smoke?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"I was hoping that you would be able to explain that," he sighed. "I thought that it was perhaps family magic".

"Not as far as I know," Charlus spoke, his tone thoughtful. "Not that I would share that knowledge with you," he added irritably.

The Headmaster nodded his understanding.

"How is he?" James questioned, knowing Harry must at least be stable if they were here discussing the fight.

"As good as can be expected," Dumbledore answered truthfully. "His physical wounds have been treated, he just seems to be suffering from magical exhaustion".

James nodded as he exhaled loudly.

"I want to see him," he demanded.

"He will be asleep for some time Mr Potter, perhaps you should go back to bed and wait until morning," Dumbledore advised.

James shook his head, his stoic demeanour slipping considerably.

"He is my son," he growled as he leaned on the desk and glared at the older man. "You can't stop me from being with him".

Dumbledore held up a placating hand.

"I was merely thinking of you Mr Potter,' he assured the teen. "It would not do you well to miss out on sleep".

"Then a bed will be arranged for him next to Harry," Charlus decided in a no-nonsense tone.

Dumbledore bowed his acceptance. It would not do well to create a divide between himself and the Potters now.

"I shall have it seen to immediately," he acquiesced.

"You will need to be there to tell the rest," James whispered to Sirius. "Don't forget to tell Bellatrix".

Sirius gave a short nod before exiting the office. He knew Harry would be fine with James there and that he was the only one James would trust to tell the others.

"Go home, Mum, you can come back in the morning," James instructed.

Dorea frowned, her eyes narrowing towards her son. She was however stopped from speaking by Charlus as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"He's right Dor," he whispered. "There's no point in us all being tired".

Dorea huffed slightly but allowed herself to be led towards the fireplace nonetheless.

She wanted nothing more than to be with Harry, and she had to remind herself once more that he was in fact James's son, no matter how much he felt like her own.

Once the flames had reverted to their normal orange from the bright green, James turned to find the Headmaster waiting by the door. The man gestured for him to follow as he led the way towards the hospital wing. Neither spoke whilst they walked, both clearly lost in their own thoughts, James thinking of how such a thing could happen without him knowing, and Dumbledore wondering what their next move could possibly be.

It took only a flick of his wand to enter the ward and he quickly found himself behind his younger companion as he rushed towards the only occupied bed causing the Headmaster to allow a sad smile flicker across his face. Regardless of the relationship between the boys, it was clear that each meant the world to the other.

He watched for only a moment longer as James grasped Harry's hand tightly and began whispering to him, obviously hoping the boy may wake and calm his worry.

It was not meant to be however. Harry lay as still as he had been from the moment he had been placed in the bed, unmoving, with even his breath barely audible.

Dumbledore busied himself by conjuring another bed close to Harry's and completed his spell work by adding some curtains to ensure their privacy.

"There are monitoring charms on him," he informed James, though he suspected the young man was paying no attention to his words. "However, if you do need anything then do send for the matron, she is keeping a very close eye on him".

James could only nod as his gaze remained intently on the unconscious Harry. He distantly heard the door to the wing click shut as the Headmaster exited, finally leaving him alone with his son.

He breathed in deeply as he traced his thumb over the back of the others hand, simply taking comfort in the rising and falling of his chest.

"What were you thinking, Harry?" he mumbled as he rested his head on the edge of the mattress.

(BREAK)

Rudolphus Lestrange woke with a hiss of pain as his dark mark seared his flesh in a much more painful way than he had become accustomed to. The pain receded as quickly as it had started, and he grumbled as he shifted, an attempt to make himself comfortable within his bed once more.

His peace was soon broken again, this time by a muffled rattling coming from within his trunk. This time he growled irritably as he pulled the pillow over his head to drown out the irritating sound.

His effort succeeded briefly, but he soon found himself yelping in agony as his mark flared once more.

"Alright," he spat furiously as he dragged himself to his feet and swung his trunk open.

He quickly found the small non- descript book he had been seeking and opened it. There were only three words written on the page in a writing he did not recognise.

 _Front Gates, Now._

He swore under his breath as he noted the time and pulled his invisibility cloak from the trunk also. It had been a gift from the Dark Lord, a gift he was assured he would need this year, and now he knew why, though he was not at all pleased to be bothered at this early hour. Although he knew he would not be visible to any, he drew his wand and silenced his feet, just to be certain.

He had been training diligently over the summer with the upper members of the Death Eater ranks but was not confident enough in his Disillusionment Charm to be without the cloak. Charms had never been his strong point in any case. His expertise had always lied heavily in curses and offensive magic, something he had shown off at every possible opportunity.

He exited the dorm and the common room without meeting any member of his house and found the castle to be conveniently void of any patrolling teachers or prefects, much to his relief. It would not do him well to be caught out of bed at this late hour, especially as whomever was waiting for him clearly was not feeling particularly patient.

After exiting the castle, he reached the gates in a matter of moments, experiencing the burning pain in his arm only once more, a reminder that now meant precisely that.

He lit his wand and dropped his cloak as he reached the gate, unable to see who it was that had summoned him.

"Put it out you fool," a harsh voice commanded angrily. "You will have Dumbledore on us even before we begin".

Rudolphus grumbled but complied nonetheless.

"You have a task," the man continued, his dark cloak obscuring all of his features. "Harry Potter is to be punished but is not to be harmed directly".

Rudolphus frowned.

Himself and the other Death Eaters returning to school had been personally warned by the Dark Lord that the boy was to be left, severe punishment being the outcome of defiance in the matter.

"What's changed?" he questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"That is not your concern," his associate growled. "You are to avoid engaging him, which should not be difficult as he is currently indisposed. Those around him are fair game however".

Rudolphus nodded as a smirk formed on his lips.

"It will be done," he assured the man with a slight bow.

"Good. Do not disappoint the Dark Lord, you will find yourself heavily in disfavour if you do".

With his final words said, the man disappeared with a gentle crack leaving a very thoughtful and excited Rudolphus Lestrange in his wake.

(BREAK)

Sirius was sat in his favourite armchair in the Gryffindor common room staring intently into the dying embers from the fire he had relit upon entering the room several hours ago. The first streaks of the dawning day were now visible through the windows and he groaned as he stood and stretched as he attempted to alleviate himself of the vestiges of discomfort he had experienced this past night.

He was tired. His puffy eyes and unkempt hair gave the look of a tested man. Emotionally, he had been. But he managed thus far to keep his emotions in check. Yes, he was worried for Harry, but he knew that equally he could do nothing for the boy. He had been tasked with ensuring those who mattered were informed, starting with his housemates.

He dragged both of his hands through his hair as he made his way up the staircase towards the dorm room. He had elected not to return last night. There was no use waking the others and them being as exhausted as he was. There would be plenty of time for sleep later, but for now, he had a job to do starting with Peter and Remus.

He found them both still sleeping peacefully and decided he would rouse the werewolf first. He noted that Remus was indeed looking sickly, understandable with how close the full moon was.

"Moony," he whispered loudly as he shook the boy by the shoulders, his voice croaky. He repeated his actions after clearing his throat, this time with more clarity.

Remus opened his eyes, ready to admonish the other for waking him. Sirius knew better than to do this at this time of the month. Usually an amiable person, the approach of his change made him rather surly at times.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he took in the dishevelled appearance of his fellow marauder.

Sirius shook his head, a gesture for the other to wait a moment.

He knew that waking Peter in a similar manner would be fruitless. He instead opted to seize the boy by his ankles and pull him from his bed. The rat groaned as his conscious surfaced and he mumbled dispassionately whilst rubbing furiously at his lower back.

"Bloody hell, Pad," he moaned. "Why would you do that?"

"Sorry Wormy," Sirius replied with small sincerity. "But you need to get up".

"What's going on Sirius?" Remus questioned as he was pulling on his shirt.

Sirius shook his head in what seemed to be disbelief, or maybe despair? It was difficult to tell with the many emotions flittering across his face.

"Harry is in the hospital wing," he said simply.

Remus frowned deeply.

"He duelled the Dark Lord," Sirius elaborated.

"Shitting hell," Remus growled, his eyes turning a slight shade of amber.

"How is he?" Peter asked, the worry in his voice evident.

Sirius shrugged, uselessness coursing through him.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "But we need to get Lily and Alice and then we can go and see him".

Peter nodded and hurried to dress as Remus took deep breaths attempting to reign in his temper. They were silent as they readied themselves, finishing in record time and quickly finding themselves in the still empty common room.

"How are we going to get the others?" Peter wondered aloud.

Sirius fired off a Patronus and took a seat whilst he waited, the tiredness in his limbs weighing him down heavily. Peter appeared to be at a loss and seemed content to stand where he was, his wand rolling in his palm.

Remus chose to pace, his impatience for the wait evident as his eyes would trail towards the staircase almost every few steps he took.

"They're coming," he muttered a few minutes later.

"This had better not be one of your pranks," Lily warned as she entered the common room with a very sleepy Marlene and Alice in tow.

She frowned as she took in demeanour of the three boys.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "Where is James?"

It was Sirius that spoke, his unusually severe countenance the first hint that something was not right.

"He's in the hospital wing," he informed the trio, holding up his hands in a manner that begged no interruption. "Harry duelled the Dark Lord last night and James is with him".

"Shit," a now wide-eyed Marlene gasped in surprise.

Lily however did not choose words to express herself. In lieu of utterances, she immediately exited Gryffindor Tower and headed towards where the two Potters were, wanting to be there for both equally. She had no idea what had possessed Harry to do such a thing and that was a conversation that would undoubtedly be had later. She just knew that she had to be with him, it was though her magic insisted upon it.

She arrived only moments later, shortly followed by the rest of the group to find that the hospital wing was still locked. Undeterred by this, the red head pounded on the door, demanding the attention of everyone within. Her efforts were rewarded when the door finally opened to reveal an exhausted looking James, who managed a weak smile at seeing all of his friends here, their mere presence giving him a much-needed boost.

"How is he?" Lily whispered, concern evident in her eyes and words.

James could only shake his head as he took her hand and led them inside, quickly taking hold of the unresponsive Harry's hand, continuing his vigil.

"Not really any different," he replied, his voice rather hoarse.

Lily took James's free hand and squeezed it comfortingly. If anyone ever had doubts of how much the boy loved is brother, despite the pranks the pulled on one another, those doubts would very much be quashed if such folk were to witness this tragic moment. It was very rare to see any of the people around her so sober, reticent even. When one was to think of the Marauders, Sirius and James in particular, it would always be the mischief they seemed to be alight with and many would never imagine such a demeanour she was witnessing from the duo now was possible. If she hadn't seen it herself, she would be of similar thinking. But here they were before her and it felt wrong to see such emotions mar their features.

Both had irritated her over the years, and still did frequently. But seeing the pair in such a way left a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She would gladly endure the irritation of both just to see their eyes alight as they should be.

She turned her attention to Harry and shook her head.

He had very little bruising from what she se could see, but he was pale. He could merely be sleeping if he did not look so pale and his breath as ragged as it sounded.

A pang of sadness such as she'd never felt passed through and the tears began to fall.

She did not know how she had become so close to this brilliant young man in less than a year, but the thought of him suffering pained her equally. She loved him in a way that she could not explain. It was not the same way she felt for James, but it was just as strong. She was drawn to him in a way she could not comprehend. She felt the need to care for him, to feel pride at his achievements, to hold him close and keep him safe.

She shook her head and sighed.

Her thoughts sounded even foolish as they made themselves known. The boy was an incredible wizard and he certainly did not need protection. She knew that there was very few who could hope to stand against Harry and even be considered a threat. That did not however prevent the protective inclinations she felt towards him.

Unconsciously, she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and took a seat in James's lap.

Sirius coughed awkwardly, his eyes still fixed on Harry.

"I'm going to get Bellatrix," he announced before he exited the ward and headed towards the dungeons, attempting to push the strangeness of the scene he had just witnessed from his mind.

It didn't take him very long to reach his destination and he sighed deeply as he knocked on the door to Professor Slughorn's office, hoping that the man was an early riser. He was soon greeted by the opening of the door, the rotund man looking at him in confusion as he fastened the belt to a silk, plum dressing gown.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr Black?" the Slytherin head questioned. "It is not often I am disturbed at such an hour by a lion".

"My apologies for disturbing you, Professor. But could you please fetch Bellatrix for me?"

Slughorn frowned but nodded nonetheless. His experience of Sirius Black had been limited over the years, but from what he knew of the boy, the matter must be of real concern.

"I shall get her at once," he assured the teen as he brushed passed Sirius and headed towards the Slytherin common room.

It was around ten minutes later that the large man returned with Bellatrix, looking as pristine as ever.

She frowned at her cousin and waited for him to speak, not at all happy that he had seen fit to disturb her so early in the day.

"Harry is in the hospital wing," he sighed in answering to the questioning look he was on the receiving end of.

Her frown deepened as she took in his words, confused at how this had happened.

"Explain," she demanded, ready to curse the boy if one of their pranks had gone wrong.

Sirius shook his head and held up his hands in a bid to show his innocence in the matter.

"He duelled the Dark Lord," he whispered, still conscious of Slughorn standing nearby.

A myriad of expressions made themselves known on her face; anger, betrayal and sadness being obvious. It finally settled on worry, something that Sirius had never expected he'd see in the eyes of his cousin.

When her legs allowed, she began stalking towards the hospital wing, a desperation to her pace.

"What happened?" she asked, unable to keep the fear from her voice.

"I don't know," Sirius replied apologetically, this side of the usually intense girl throwing him off. "All I know is they duelled, and Harry is in the hospital wing".

Bellatrix nodded and somehow quickened her stride even more so, walking straight into the ward without breaking her rhythm.

She was briefly taken aback by the amount of people surrounding him, obscuring the young man from view. She took but a second to regain her usual posture, not wishing for any to see a hint of weakness in her.

She cleared her throat, garnering the attention of those within the room.

"You should all go and get some breakfast, and a shower," she added as she took in the haggard look of James Potter.

It appeared as though he would protest vehemently but was quietened by Lily as she placed a comforting hand on his forearm.

"She's right," she whispered. "It won't do any good if you starve yourself or at least have a wash".

James sighed and nodded tiredly as he stood and gestured for the others to follow.

"Don't leave him," he almost pleaded as he past Bellatrix.

"I won't," she promised. "How is he really?"

James shrugged.

"According to Dumbledore, he's physically as good as can be expected. Magically, they just don't know," he offered apologetically.

Bellatrix nodded.

"He was amazing," James added with a proud smile.

"You were there?" Bellatrix growled.

James shook his head.

"I saw the memory," he explained quickly. "I should have been though, we all should," he added sadly.

"I'd like some time alone with him, please," she requested.

James offered a sympathetic smile. He had felt what she was feeling and could relate to it. She needed the reassurance of his breathing and warmth to know that he was still there with her. With those thoughts, he left the hospital wing, granting the young woman some time with the boy.

She had no issue with any of these being around Harry and knew that each of them would protect him with their lives if necessary. She simply needed some time with him, a moment or two to allow her repressed emotions to come forth.

The moment she heard the door click shut as the others exited, she sunk in to the chair that James had vacated and took a firm grip on Harry's hand. An errant tear slid down her cheek as she took every detail of him in.

She would investigate all of the details later; Harry's health was much more important to her. It mattered not how he came to be here, she just needed to know that he would be okay.

"You stupid man," she whispered, a little of the anger she felt towards him lining her words.

She swallowed that emotion, now was not the time for such thing. There would be ample of opportunity in the future for her to vent on him for acting this way when he woke.

She squeezed his hand tighter as a few more tears made themselves known.

"I understand," she assured his still form. "More than anyone, but you forget how much you are loved. Or you just don't know it".

She swallowed again. She knew her words were falling on deaf ears, but she felt the need to speak.

"I love you, Harry. We all do. But you have to let us help you. What do you think would happen to me, or any of us if you were gone?"

She shook her head and wiped the tears that fell freely.

"You promised me forever and I plan on holding you to that," she chuckled.

Her laughter stopped immediately, her usual serious expression prevailing.

"Just come back to me," she begged. "Nothing else matters, I just want you here".

She felt tired, exhausted even as she gave his hand a final squeeze and contented herself with simply staring at him.

Her time alone with Harry was shorter than she would have liked however. Barely an hour had passed when the appearance of Charlus, Dorea, Arcturus and those who had been present earlier entered the ward, pulling her from her moment. With a quick wandless spell, she managed to remove the vestiges of tears before she turned to greet them.

The elder Potters wore matching looks of concern as they looked upon their Grandson and even her Grandfather wore a perturbed look.

"How is he?" Dorea questioned softly, as she took in the still form of the teen.

"The same, I guess," Bellatrix shrugged.

Dorea nodded as she pulled the girl into a hug, not at all convinced by the brave front she was putting on.

"He's strong," she whispered. "He will make it".

Bellatrix could only nod, not trusting herself to be able to speak clearly enough to maintain her composure. She was aware of his strength, probably more so than any other.

It didn't take long for the others to surround the bed, helped by James who demonstrated his gift in Transfiguration as he conjured several chairs, his eyes not once leaving the seemingly sleeping Harry.

What felt like hours later, though it could have been minutes, Dumbledore arrived with the matron in tow, the Headmaster looking older and more tired than any had ever seen him. He said nothing and stood away as the woman went about her work, casting diagnostic charms and administering a variety of potions as she shook her head, clearly not pleased at what she was seeing.

"What's wrong?" Dorea questioned worriedly.

The healer sighed as she shook her head.

"He is not improving as he should be," she replied morosely. "He seems to be developing a fever and his body is getting weaker as his magic is trying to replete".

The adults in the room became alarmed at the news and even Lily gasped in horror.

"What does that mean?" James demanded urgently.

"It means that his own magic will kill him as it gets stronger. His body will be too weak to handle it," Lily sobbed as she gripped the front of his robes tightly.

A sound similar to a whimper escaped James throat as he fought to control himself. "Not like this Harry, please," he ground out.

"What can be done?" Bellatrix enquired, her violet eyes shining with unshed tears.

The matron shook her head.

"Nothing," she whispered. "I have done all I can and now it is up to Mr Potter to do the rest".

"So, we just sit and wait?" Bellatrix hissed furiously.

"Bella," Arcturus chided her, his own voice slightly hoarse.

"I am sorry dear," the matron tried. "If I do any more then it will do more harm than good".

Bellatrix nodded and sunk back in to her chair, not at all conscious to the fact that she had even stood.

A stunned silence seemed to have overcome the majority of the room as none spoke further. Dumbledore had muttered his apologies and left, the man looking much more distraught than when he had entered the room.

Remus and Peter both were pale and in the case of the werewolf, it had nothing to do with the approaching full moon, both were completely shocked into stillness by the turn of events, neither knowing how to cope.

Sirius appeared to be almost blank as Marlene held him as close as can be. His expression said little of what he felt, though his eyes were full of dread, defeat even. Harry was the one that he had no doubt would survive this and now, the reality of war had set in. If Harry wasn't safe, then nobody was.

He swallowed a thick lump in his throat as the first tears fell, his vision becoming blurred and watery. He hung his head, the feeling of uselessness overwhelming him.

Alice felt lost, out of place and alone in the grief she was feeling. She wished that Frank was there, just to hold her, so she could feel some warmth in the numbness that had overcome her.

James could do nothing but shake uncontrollably as he fought back the sobs that threatened to wrack his body further. The tears fell freely down his face as he held the redhead in his arms in a death grip, clinging desperately to anything that could give him any kind of comfort.

Lily was almost catatonic, unaware of the lack of breathing she was managing in James's arms. She had no words, no coherent thoughts that could make any of this easier or help her in absorbing what was happening in this moment. It felt as though she was in a dream, the most unpleasant one could experience. She could only hope that it was and that she would wake soon to find everything as it should be. She silently begged for such a thing, begged to wake up in her bed and all of this one day becoming a faded memory.

The older Potters found solace in the arms of the other, neither speaking, both unable to convey their emotions in any way. This boy had walked into their lives out of the blue and had impacted them more than either could ever have imagined. And now, unless a miracle was afoot, it appeared that his foray into this world was to be short-lived.

A cruel life for one with so much to give, ended prematurely.

Arcturus could only shake his head in disbelief as he internally willed the boy to keep up the fight. He cared for him as though he carried his own name and not that of Potter. He was everything that he wished his own blood could be and more, despite how proud he was of those he had sired. He knew that if Harry were to pass, then Bellatrix would never be the same. It worried him at how close they had become, especially in the circumstances. He knew that it was a possibility that Harry could die but he had not taken into account his granddaughter and the affect it would have on her.

She loved him, it was clear for him to see. And if this ended in tragedy, then Merlin help those that had taken him from her. It had been many years since the 'Black Madness' had been seen and the old man couldn't help that another bout was on the horizon should things turn unfavourable.

Bellatrix remained in her chair, unmoving except for the circular pattern she traced on the back of Harry's hand, gently willing him to come back to her.

" _Every last one of them will pay, I will take everything they hold dear from them if my Harry does not come back to me,"_ she screamed internally, her rage and despair dominating her inner thoughts.

She took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. She need not react this way, yet. Harry was still here, breathing, and could wake up at any moment.

She would not leave his side until he did. To do so was unthinkable. She wanted the first thing he saw when he woke to be her, and she could simply gaze and bask in the emerald brilliance of his eyes then she could hold him in her arms and never let go.

"Never let go," she whispered under her breath.

It was then that she felt the hand she was lovingly tracing twitch and her eyes shot to his face in anticipation.

"Harry?" she called, her voice much weaker than she expected.

In this moment however, she did not care how feeble she sounded.

The calling of his name had garnered the attention of the rest in the room and each came closer, hope shining in their eyes amongst the apparent grief.

His arm twitched this time, the rest of his body still motionless.

"Harry," Bellatrix called again encouragingly as she stood and cupped his face in her hands gently. "Come on, Harry. Please wake up, for me?"

Harry's body suddenly jerked violently once and then he fell still once more as the matron approached, wand in hand and spells already flying towards the boy.

"What's happening?" Bellatrix asked fearfully her gaze shifting between Harry and the woman.

"No, no, no," the healer whispered under her breath in disbelief as spell after spell left her wand.

Those gathered could only watch in horror as the woman's arm fell limp to her side and she shook her head in sorrow.

"He's gone," she mumbled.

"NOO," James roared as he launched forward and grabbed Harry's shoulders, shaking him violently as he did so. "Don't you fucking leave me Harry, don't you dare do this to me," he wailed as he continued his attempts to rouse the other teen.

Charlus and Arcturus shot forward and seized him by an arm each and attempted to wrestle the distraught boy away from Harry.

"That's my son you bastards," he screamed. "Get your fucking hands off me and let me be with my boy".

The fight quickly left his body as he slumped forward, the sobbing and trembling the only indication that he was conscious.

Dorea stepped forward and began ushering the rest of the teens from the room in an attempt to gain some control of the situation before more could be said that would bring unwanted questions.

"I'm staying with James," Sirius stated, refusing to be moved.

Dorea nodded understandingly and continued her efforts, succeeding in removing the clearly shocked from the ward.

"We need time," she managed to choke out. "Just family".

The group nodded but the redhead appeared to have a dozen questions.

"What did James mean when he said that Harry is his son?" she questioned, her tone confused.

"It's just the grief, my dear," Dorea placated weakly, knowing that the girl would not believe it.

Lily shook her head but was cut off from speaking further by Dorea.

"Now is not the time, Miss Evans" she said firmly.

Lily thought better than to argue, as much as she wanted to. The look in the older woman's eyes brokered no discussion on the matter.

Dorea gave her an apologetic smile and entered the hospital wing once more, her focus now on how the family were to cope with such a loss. Unwittingly, but completely expected, the tears fell from her own eyes as she finally lost control of her composure.

"Where is Bella?" she asked the others.

Arcturus could only shake his head.

He had seen her calmly kiss Harry on the forehead and disillusion herself, going only she knew where after that.

"She will need time," he sighed. "She won't be found unless she wants to be".

(BREAK)

Bellatrix Black found herself wandering the halls of the castle, her feet working of their own accord whilst her mind was focused on only one thing; Harry. She was in state of utter disbelief, a mixture of shock, rage and heartache, none of which were taking precedence within her. She knew not what to do, how to react or what would happen next. All she did know was that her Harry had been taken from her and that she would never be the same.

She loved him more than she ever imagined possible and the thought of not seeing that infuriating grin he wore or that sparkle in her eyes empty her very being, leaving her hollow. A void existing because of the absence of that boy.

A dry sob forced its way out of her as she entered the classroom on the third floor that they had first met, and she could only sink to the ground as the truth of what had happened set in.

Bellatrix Black was not a girl who had ever truly cried before, but here and now, she could not fight the tears that came even if she wanted to.

She cried for the loss of her love, she cried at the injustice of him being taken and she cried for the bleak future she was to face from here on out.

She did not want to live this way, not without her Harry.

She chuckled darkly, a chuckle which turned into a cackle as she despaired in her misfortune.

"Of course, it had to be this way, why would I deserve something so good," she whispered, her tears no longer falling.

She screamed, whether from anger or grief, she could not be sure. All she knew was that when her shriek finished echoing around the room, she was filled with fury. A fury directed at those who had dared bring her such misery. A fury aimed towards the Dark Lord and those that follow him. They were what had left her so alone in this world. Her anger was also for Harry, for the foolish actions he had taken and without her there to help him and for leaving her alone in this world.

But Harry was already dead. And she loved Harry. No matter what it was he had done, she loved him so.

The Dark Lord however, was very much alive as far as she knew and so were the fools that followed him.

Something within her snapped as she came to a realisation. There were only two things she now wanted. She wanted them all to suffer the same way she was, and she wanted to be back with her Harry, no matter the cost.

She smiled, knowing she could have both. She could avenge her Harry and be with him soon enough. She just needed the opportunity.

Instead of emptiness, she found herself full of hope, excitement even, and anticipation.

"I'll be with you soon, Harry," she promised as she exited the room with a spring in her step.

She had a little planning to do, but then she would strike.

The Dark Lord and those who followed him were about to learn that a Bellatrix Black trained by Harry Potter was a dangerous thing. But a Bellatrix Black that had had her Harry taken from her, was more than they could comprehend.

(BREAK)

James was sat in his usual chair within the common, having arrived only a moment ago. It had been decided that Harry's body would be taken to the family home and placed within the crypt whilst arrangements would be made for his funeral. It had been decided that the death of the boy would not be revealed as yet to allow the family some time to grieve appropriately before they were inundated with questions that they were not ready to answer.

James shook his head and swallowed deeply, his throat raw from all of the crying and shouting he had done.

Sirius had opted to seek out Marlene and explain everything as best as he could to those that had witnessed James's outburst. It did now seem completely moot to even attempt keeping them in the dark about Harry's true identity.

As it was, James found himself exhausted and not wanting to confront anything, a desire that would be short-lived if the face of a now approaching Lily was anything to go by. He couldn't tell what she was feeling from her expression, but it was clear that she had been crying. All he knew was that he had a lot of explaining to do.

She stood in front of him and held his gaze as her already puffy eyes filled with tears once more. He stood and pulled her into his arms so that he could at least absolve some of the grief that she was overcome with, his own frayed strength failing him as she melted into his embrace. They cried for a few moments together, those within the room daring not to question what had caused such a show of emotion between the two.

"I need to know what you meant, James," Lily whispered, the clarity in her voice hindered both by fear and hurt. "You said he was your son," she reminded him, her body heaving slightly towards the end of her words.

James could only nod as a fresh wave of tears broke free.

He needed a moment.

Not being able to speak, he did what he could, and he squeezed her tighter to him as he attempted to compose himself enough. This was not a conversation he was ready for, but he doubted he ever would be.

He took a deep breath as he took her hand and led her from the common room away from prying eyes. They made it to the seventh floor and Lily watched in confusion as he paced back and forth in front of a blank expanse of wall causing a door to appear. He led her inside and took a seat on the bed, pulling her beside him as he did so.

He took a moment to absorb the surroundings that he created and sighed as the familiarity of the room settled within him.

"This is Harry's room at home," he mumbled, his voice hoarse.

Lily nodded and waited patiently for James to speak further.

The young man found her eyes with his own and he smiled weakly.

"Harry is…was my son," he sighed.

Lily frowned and shook her head, but James held up a hand to quell any interruption.

"It's hard to believe, but I can promise you it is true," he assured her seriously.

He dragged a hand through his hair and attempted to find the words to explain in a way that she could understand.

"It started the summer before sixth year. I was spending time with Sirius at home when I was summoned to Dumbledore's office. I thought that I was in trouble for something I did at school".

He snorted slightly before continuing.

"I got there only to be introduced to Harry, a kid my own age that was the double of me and to be told that he was my son from the future".

He chuckled at the memory.

"I thought that it was some kind of joke and that my parents and Dumbledore were trying to teach me a lesson for all the pranks, but they weren't joking. I've never seen my parents so serious before".

He sighed again, all traces of humour now absent from his expression.

"It wasn't a joke and I found out this kid had had the worst life imaginable because the me from the future wasn't around for him. I died before he was two," he explained sadly.

Lily was stunned by what she was hearing, the million questions she had running through her mind not coming forth.

"Anyway," James continued. "I was told that he would be staying with us and that we would pretend that we were brothers," he shrugged. "I was okay with that, but I didn't really think about the long term. I only saw the potential of the pranks and how much of a laugh it would be".

He snorted again, this time bitterly.

"I didn't expect to feel the way I do about him. I didn't expect to see him as my son".

"How?" Lily questioned dumbly.

James shrugged.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I don't understand it myself. All I do know is that Harry James Potter was my son and he's not coming back," he choked.

He found himself in the girl's embrace as he broke down once more for the loss of the other boy.

"Who was his Mother?" Lily questioned as she attempted to push down the feeling of envy she was feeling.

She knew that James couldn't be held at fault for what his future self-had done. That didn't mean she had to like the idea of him being with someone else so deeply that a child had come of it.

She was taken aback by the heartbreak she saw as James met her gaze once more.

"He had his mother's eyes, Lily," he whispered.

Lily choked back another sob as she was hit by the realisation, all of the strange feelings she had felt towards Harry from the moment she had met him making themselves known once more, only this time she was not confused. The only thing she felt was pain and loss.

"Me?" she whispered in disbelief.

The reply she got was another tear breaking free from the boy as he nodded, his eyes now full of sorrow.

All she could do was cry with him for their loss. She had so many questions but none she wanted to ask for the moment. Instead, she allowed a new sense of grief to wash over her as she once again found herself in his arms.

They stayed this way for an inordinate amount of time before she pulled away, a hollowness within her chest.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked calmly, though she was feeling anything but that. "What happened to us for him to be on his own?"

"What could I say?" James replied. "Oh, hi Lily, you hate me right now, but this is our son from the future".

Lily huffed in frustration.

"I don't know, James," she fired back irritably. "But I had a right to know".

James nodded.

"I'm sorry," he offered sincerely. "We both died in his time Lily. Voldemort came for us and left him an orphan".

This itself explained a lot of why Harry had turned out the way he was. He was fiercely protective and had a lot of hate towards the man without even seemingly having anything to do with him. It all began to make sense now.

Lily shook her head.

"Is Harry the reason you wanted to be with me?"

James frowned and took her hands in his own.

"I wanted to be with you from the moment I saw you," he answered. "Long before Harry came along, it was you that wasn't interested," he pointed out.

Lily sighed.

"I know," she conceded. "It just feels like all of this is kind of convoluted for some reason," she added in a whisper.

James nodded his understanding.

"I always wanted you Lily. You were always the girl I wanted to be with and I can admit, before Harry came along, I wasn't right for you. I was an arse and having Harry around made me grow up a lot. He made me want to be a better person and he made me realise that you deserved better than what I was".

Lily shook her head.

"I always liked you for some reason," she admitted, causing James to smile. "Most of the time, I really didn't want to. You were arrogant, childish and even a bully at times, but there was always something about you. I could see there was more to you and you showed me that when he came along. You grew up James, but was it because of him or is this the person you really are?"

"A lot of it is because of Harry," he agreed. "But this really is me," he assured her as he took her hands once more.

"I do believe you," she finally responded. "But this is a lot to take in. I've lost one of the most important people in my life today and then I find out all of this," she continued sadly.

"I know, and I am sorry," James tried.

Lily nodded.

"I know James, but I think I need some time. I need some time to take this all in and just deal with it".

"I understand," James replied, his chest tightening considerably.

"I love you," she reminded him before kissing him gently on the cheek. "Please don't forget that".

James could say nothing as he watched Lily Evans walk away, leaving him even more heartbroken.

Lily herself couldn't comprehend what it was she was feeling, but everything she had ever felt for Harry was now falling into place; the protectiveness, the way she cared for him and the way she felt for him without anything other than affection all now easily discernible from what was once uncertainty and confusion.

None of this however compared to the sense of loss, the emptiness that could be filled by nothing other than having Harry Potter back in her life.

She decided that she needed some air, just some time to mull things over and with a little luck, she would be able to put everything into perspective, though more than a small part of her wished to wake within her bed, this having all been an awful yet strange dream.

(BREAK)

It didn't take Sirius long to locate Remus and the others that had been in the hospital wing as Harry had passed on. It did however take an agonising amount of time to fill them all in of the details of what had happened since the day the other Potter had arrived. All of the teens seemed to be in too much shock to ask many questions, something that Sirius was grateful for as he too was in no mood for talking. The only thing he kept to himself was the identity of Harry's mother, though he did not expect that to remain hidden for long.

"I can't believe he is gone," Remus whispered sadly.

"We have to keep it to ourselves, for now," Sirius reiterated. "Aunt Dorea and Uncle Charlus were clear on that".

The others nodded in agreement, none still truly believing anything that had happened this day.

Peter simply sat, his state almost catatonic as he cried silently for his friend, already missing his presence. Before Harry had come along, his future had been uncertain as he himself was uncertain in himself. But Harry had changed that. He had been the first one embed a feeling of worthiness in the smallest Marauder. He had been the one to assure his place amongst them when his self-doubt had been at its worst. The others had agreed with every word that the green-eyed boy had said, but it will always be Harry that made that happen for him.

Even Marlene and Alice felt the sting of his loss, though they had spent the least time around him. They always knew that there was something special about Harry and he had proven it time and time again throughout the time that had known him and spent time in his company. He always had a way of making the difficult appear easy and always filled them with the confidence that they too could believe beyond what they deemed their capabilities. He pushed them in more ways than they thought possible, but he did so in a way that only encouraged them further and the grin they received when he proved himself right in his faith in them was as irritating as it was endearing.

Both the young women would miss him. They would miss that smile. They would miss the way he tousled his already messy hair when he was frustrated, but most of all, they would miss the laughter that he would elicit within their group.

Remus wept at the absence of a member of his pack, the wolf within him too surprisingly subdued considering the full moon was nigh. Ordinarily by this point in the lunar cycle, the wolf would be pacing, feral and salivating with the impending freedom. This time however was different. This time the wolf was content with his usual isolation. The wolf was aware that his foray into the world tonight would not be a pleasant one.

The wolf, was of course correct in its prediction.

That very night, the entire grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry played host to a werewolf, not and angry wild beast as one would expect, but a werewolf mourning. If any were to listen closely enough, the melancholic howls of despair could be heard emitting from the forbidden forests as the wolf bayed its loss for the world to hear.

Even to those that would condemn such a creature for his condition, the pain of loss was prevalent. There was no anger in the sound, only regret, something that none would believe possible of one considered so dark.

(BREAK)

Rudolphus Lestrange rolled his wand between his fingers as he contemplated his next move. He knew that his time was limited in which he could act, until Potter inevitably returned from wherever he was. Despite his own confidence in his abilities, he was not keen on finding himself on the other end of the wand of the younger teen, he had experienced humiliation and agony enough times at his hands.

The others, he was confident he could handle with no issues. With the extra training he had been having with the Dark Lord and several of his higher-level Death Eaters, it was highly unlikely himself or his brother could be bested by any of them.

He however, was not about risk his life unnecessarily. He knew they were all capable in their own ways and he did not want to be caught off guard by anything, not when he could give himself such an advantage.

"The Slytherin way," he decided aloud with a smirk. "They can't defend themselves from what they don't see," he added as looked upon his invisibility cloak.

(BREAK)

Harry Potter opened his eyes, only to blink rapidly as he took in his surroundings. The place he found himself was strangely scentless, soundless and colourless, everything in sight being black or grey and flickering as though he was in a distorted silent movie. With considerable effort, he manged to push himself to his feet and take in his surroundings with a little more clarity. The black and grey prevailed as far as he eyes could see, the grass beneath his bare feet that should be lush and green following suit in the dreariness.

Hills, rolling hills at that, all the way to the horizon, an inordinate distance away. If it weren't for the small, dilapidated cottage and neighbouring, almost offensively white tree, the teen would be worried that he had been deposited in a barren and lifeless land.

With a shrug, he began strolling towards the only sign of civilisation, a frown marring his features as he attempted to piece together his final moments before arriving here.

He remembered his duel with Tom clearly and his final burst of magic as he attempted to end the Dark Lord, and then nothing. The darkness had engulfed him and brought him here.

He reached the tree and attempted to trail his fingers down the bark, needing to feel assured that it was truly there. However, his hand met nothing although the thing itself called to him, almost begging for his touch.

His frown deepened as he turned away and began the walk to the cottage, glancing over his shoulder at the elusive wooden behemoth, ignoring the call to continue his efforts to make contact.

The gate, he found yielding. Though it did not call to him in the same manner, he almost expected it to resist his desire to open it, to frustrate him further. The clang of the metal as he pulled the catch and the ominous creaking of the hinges that followed as he pushed it open, did very little to comfort him as he expected. If anything, it drew a weariness from within him as he crossed the threshold into the overgrown garden as a sense of not belonging filled him. It was not dread of fear that caused him pause, but the unknown beyond.

He had found himself in many such situations throughout his years, but none with this depth of foreboding, none where he felt so insignificant and none where he had felt such vulnerability.

He was acutely aware that he had no means of defending himself, no wand in which to speak of and not even a thread of clothing to adorn him. Whatever brought him here wanted him defenceless and whatever brought him here was the master of this place, wherever here was.

He steeled himself as he reached the door and prepared for his inevitable next move, his bold tendencies from his younger days having never truly being curbed.

His louder than necessary knock echoed throughout the innards of the building, the eerie silence prevailing once more after the final note had faded.

He held his breath unconsciously as he waited for a sign of life from within. A sudden raising of his eyebrows followed as he heard what appeared to be a chair scraping across a floor and footsteps begin, almost reverently coming ever closer to where he stood as though the person they belonged to was savouring this moment.

A sudden rattling of chains lasted but a second before the door opened, revealing a faceless figure shrouded in black smoke.

"Ahh, Peverell. Please do come in," the thing wheezed, as it gestured for Harry to enter, allowing him passage by stepping to the side.

Harry did so, choosing to ignore the strange way in which he had been addressed.

The inside of the cottage was just as neglected as the outside and resembled more of an abandoned shack than any other dwelling imaginable. It was sparsely furnished and everything that was there was broken in some way.

The shadowy figure entered and took a seat on a chair with a leg missing, surprising Harry that it managed to stay upright. The figure said nothing and contented itself with seemingly staring at the teen, something that quickly made Harry uncomfortable as he couldn't be certain that the creature was looking in his direction.

Despite his discomfort, Harry found his tongue.

"Why am I here?"

The thing tilted its head and Harry could feel that it was smirking at him.

"You are here because I willed it," it replied flatly. "You are here because we have a problem, Peverell".

Harry shook his head, no longer able to ignore the name the creature was using.

"Peverell? My name is Harry Potter," he pointed out.

"I know the name your line has chosen," the thing spat. "But to me, you will always be Peverell. You cannot hide from me with a foolish change of name".

Harry sighed as he dragged a hand through his hair, completely dumbfounded by the situation he found himself in.

"And why is it you brought me here?" he questioned, his tone laced with annoyance.

The figure stood and turned its back towards him.

"You are here because I had need of words with you. You are here because you defied fate herself. Although she applauds you for such a feat, her ire has been provoked and her respect did nothing to abate her anger with you".

"Then why did fate herself not summon me?" Harry questioned irritably.

The creature let out a humourless laugh.

"Foolish boy. Only those with the eye can convene with her, something that you completely lack," the figure responded with equal irritation its voice.

Harry frowned.

"Seers?" he questioned.

"Not completely stupid are you, Peverell? Yes, seers. The vessels in which fate selects to be her word within your land".

"Then who the hell are you?" Harry bit back, his irritation growing further.

He could feel the thing smirking once more.

"I am a different entity altogether, though closely linked with fate. Those of your plain refer to me as Death, though my job involves nothing of the sort. I merely collect the souls of those that pass from your world into ours," it finished with a shrug.

Harry felt his blood run cold at the revelation.

"So, I'm dead?"

Another humourless laugh erupted from the creature as it should his head.

"No. I have simply borrowed your soul for a time so that we could convene. Fate selects her vessels as did I over a millennium ago. You can convene with me because you are a Peverell. Your relationship with me is the same as a seer would be with fate," it explained bitterly.

Hearing that he wasn't truly dead did little to relax the teen.

"So, you chose my ancestors to be your vessels?" he asked, his confusion growing more so.

Death shook its head again.

"In a way, yes. But it is more accurate to say that your line chose me when I was needed most".

The figure held up a shadowy hand to stall any further questions.

"Allow me to explain," Death sighed. "Then you will understand how it is that you came to be here".

Harry nodded and waited, though he doubted any words could clear his confusion.

"The story told amongst your own people would have you believe that three brothers cheated me of their souls and for such trickery, I gifted them a powerful heirloom each, of my own creation," he began, his tone bitter.

He laughed in disbelief.

"Such a story is merely a fabrication of what truly happened. I cannot be tricked, for every soul that comes into being, will one day be mine".

Harry swallowed deeply at the certainty of the words spoken.

"Now, these three brothers did exist, Peverell's, just as you yourself stand before me, but that is the only similarity you will find in the truth of what happened".

Death began to pace back and forth, though it was not a restless pacing.

"It was not much longer than a millennium ago that war ravaged the lands in which you call home. War itself is profitable for me as my collection of souls grow more the longer such conflict exists. It is not however, profitable for everyone. Fate in particular has an aversion to such a thing and will usually choose a champion to end it for her. This time was different. This time, it was those of your kind that took the needed steps to end the war and just like you, they themselves defied fate".

Harry nodded to demonstrate he was following so far.

"This is where your ancestors come in to it," Death revealed. "They created a ritual, a ritual in which they willingly sacrificed their very souls to bring peace to the land, a ritual that brought them here to me".

Harry's eyebrows rose as he pondered such a thing.

Death continued to pace.

"Now, as I explained, it is not my job to end life, only to collect the souls of those that have passed, and that is where things became complicated. Magic itself granted their wish for peace, though even for such a thing as magic, intervention on a plain not ours is not possible. Instead, as the souls sacrificed would become mine, as it should be, I was tasked with bringing the bartered peace. I myself, as fate and magic, also cannot interfere directly with your world, it is not our duty to do so. Subsequently, a deal was made between myself and your line".

Harry found himself once again uncomfortable. The feeling of a deal of sorts with Death did not bode well.

"I gifted the line with my own magic and gave each an item of power, the tools that would be more than sufficient to end the war that had befallen your lands. One received a wand, a wand powerful enough to win any open battle. The second, a cloak of true invisibility where subterfuge would prevail where open battle could not and the third received a stone capable of raising an army of the mightiest warrior's past to ensure their success".

Harry shook his head in disbelief.

"The deal itself was simple and agreed with yours. They were to come to me willingly and surrender their souls as promised once peace again reigned. Their souls and my gifts were to return to me immediately, that however, did not happen," Death continued angrily. "Each were corrupted with the power they wielded and defied me. Instead of handing himself over, as promised, the first brother sought power using the wand, only to join me very shortly after his quest began. He boasted of the prowess of the wand and found himself murdered in his sleep," Death explained gleefully. "The second believed that he could resurrect the soul of his passed lover and found nothing but misery as she sapped him of every ounce of magic he possessed. Oh, he was powerful, but magic such as that comes at a price, the price this time being his sanity. He too joined me quickly after he took his own life, but not before hurling my stone into the river in his addled state".

"What about the third brother?" Harry enquired, enraptured by the story being told.

"The third defied me most of all," Death growled. "Instead of sacrificing his soul and returning my cloak, he used it to flee from me, only handing his soul over as he reached a very old age. He gifted the cloak to his son, who in turn gifted it to his own and so on until it found itself in your possession, Peverell".

Harry felt a chill pass through him at the icy tone the creature had adopted and the realisation at what was being not so subtly implied.

"That however, is inconsequential as things stand," the cloaked figure continued. The problem we have now is you, though it is not only me you have defied, but fate herself".

Harry frowned.

"The time jump," Death hissed in frustration. "Your path had been set out before you and you chose to defy her, you stupid boy, and now it is up to me once again to put your world to rights".

"I don't see how it is your problem," Harry responded sagely.

"Usually it wouldn't be," Death sighed. "In normal circumstances, Fate would simply carve out a new path for you and everything would fall into place as it should be. You however sent me over a soul fragment from your own time before your little excursion into the past".

Harry frowned.

"A soul piece of the fool Riddle was within you and banished here once it was removed, and now here I am with a piece of soul that should not exist. You caused unbalance in the world and it must be restored".

"What are you talking about?"

"The Horcrux that was in you," Death returned furiously as he pointed to the faded lightning shaped scar on Harry's forehead.

The word Horcrux resonated within the teen as he thought back to when he had heard the term, the day he received his new wands. He raised his hands to gently caress the blemish for the first time in over a year, something that had become little more than a faded memory.

"I had some of his soul inside me?" he asked worriedly.

"You did," Death confirmed. "But it is now in my possession".

"And you want me to send you the rest?" Harry pried, quickly ascertaining where this was going.

"I only want what I am owed," Death hissed. "And you boy, owe me. Not only the soul of Tom Riddle that I am due, but for the defiance of your line".

Harry shook his head in disbelief.

"That's it? You only want me to kill him?"

Death nodded.

"What do you think I was trying to do?" Harry spat, his own anger getting the better of him.

"What you did was fail, Peverell. Should you have succeeded, then you wouldn't be here".

"Then I will get him next time," Harry vowed.

Death laughed; a mocking chuckle.

"Tom Riddle is a wizard, that even with your little time excursion, has many more decade's experience than yourself, the next time you meet he will be prepared".

"In case you didn't see, I got the better of him," Harry ground out.

Death shook his head.

"No, you merely surprised him. Tom Riddle had become lax in his arrogance, his self-image of superiority defeated him, not your prowess. Next time you face him will be on his own terms, and that will not be until he is ready and once again at his best".

"Then tell me what it is I need to do," Harry huffed.

Again, Harry could feel the thing smirking.

"Tom Riddle will pay any price to be the best. There are many rituals he has yet to undertake and the sacrifices to achieve these results mean nothing to him. That is where you both differ. You are not one to sacrifice others or things for more power. You are noble and weak for such morals. But it can be an advantage in this case".

"How?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Both of your lines have been blessed with my magic, though Tom chose to corrupt his body and soul for what he sees as further greatness. His fear of me and the acts he carried out to attain his power has seen to it that he cannot wield my gift as you can".

"Did you just say I am related to him?"

Death chuckled once more.

"He too is a Peverell and he too has decided to attempt to flee me at any cost as those of your line once did before him. You however, do not have the same goal. That is what makes you different".

Harry reeled in shock at the revelation that he was related to Voldemort. He felt physically sick as he shook his head.

"What power do you mean?" he managed to ask through his haze of emotion.

"The Peverell family magic," Death grumbled. "The magic I gifted the three brothers, though none have been born powerful enough since them to use it so well. That is until you were born. Oh, your Grandfather and Father can use it to an extent, but none have the raw magical power needed to do so as you can. That is the power Tom knows not".

Harry's eyes snapped towards Death at those final words.

"The prophecy," he whispered.

Death nodded in reply.

"You cannot fight fate, Peverell, and you certainly cannot escape me. One way or the other you will do fates bidding, and in your case, you will do mine also. You will face Tom Riddle and you will send me his soul. Both Fate and I agree upon this. That is your task, there is no compromise".

Harry nodded.

"That was the plan," he pointed out. "And what about your cloak? I guess you will be wanting it back".

Death laughed, a little humour evident this time.

"They are merely trinkets and will only work to their full potential in the hands of a Peverell. If you wish to seek out the other two, then be my guest," Death offered with a shrug. "But you do not need them. The magic you need is within yourself, not any object".

Harry nodded. He thought that the wand would be quite the acquisition, but he would have no use of such a thing. His own were more than sufficient.

"Where are the other two?" he questioned.

Although he himself was not particularly drawn to them, he didn't like the idea of them being in the possession of others, especially if they had unpleasant intentions.

"Why, Tom of course has the stone, though he does not know it. His line turned it into the Gaunt family ring after the stone was found, a ring that currently rots a way in his ancestral home".

Harry did not like the idea of Tom possessing such a thing and decided that it was best he liberate it from him as soon as possible.

"And the wand?"

Death chuckled.

"That would be in the hands of Albus Dumbledore, who is very much aware of what it is he is carrying".

Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

Despite his reservations about the Headmaster, he was the least likely person he knew that would use the wand for nefarious reasons.

"And this magic, how am I supposed to use it to its full potential?"

"You practice," Death growled simply. "You have already used it beyond the capabilities of any other since the three brothers. You use it as often as possible and you hone it as you would any other magic".

Harry nodded his understanding as the explanation Charlus gave him about the family magic came to the forefront of his mind.

"There is no written record," he muttered.

"Indeed," Death concurred. "You must merely become familiar with it and all will become clear".

Harry sighed as he nodded once more before frowning deeply.

"Is there any advantage to having the wand?" he questioned.

He wanted to clarify if possessing the wand itself would benefit him.

Death nodded once only.

"The wand itself is an advantage to any that possess it, but exponentially so for those of your blood in particular, you even more so than any other. The wand will always work to its full potential in the hands of those that can truly wield its power. In the hand of any other wizards, it is merely a powerful wand, in the hands of one such as yourself that holds capability of such magic and power, it would be a distinct advantage".

Harry dragged a hand through his hair at the new conundrum. Now he needed Dumbledore to relinquish the and, or he would have to take it. Before he could voice his concerns, Death continued its vitriol.

"The wand itself is semi-sentient and can help you more than you ever could without possessing it. I would suggest you obtain it at your earliest convenience. I do however believe that you will notice no significance in the power of your magic, if anything, it would be negligible. You are a rather powerful wizard after all".

Harry frowned and shook his head.

"Then there seems little point in having".

Death shrugged.

"That is your decision to make, Peverell. I am merely offering you what I can to achieve what it is you need to".

Harry knew he needed time to absorb everything he had learnt and prioritise what it was he would do next. The thought of the wand stayed at the forefront of his mind however. Death certainly was under the impression that it would be important to him.

"If you needed to speak to me so desperately, why did you take so long to summon me here?"

"As I explained, Peverell, I cannot interfere with what happens on your plain directly. I had to wait until you were weak enough so that I could borrow your soul for this meeting, quite the feat of magic, I'm sure you'll agree".

Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"And when I kill Tom, then we are even?"

Death shook his head.

"We will never be even, Peverell," he snapped. "But your own debt to me will be paid. The defiance of your line will forever taint it, in my eyes".

Harry snorted at the petulant nature on display.

"It is fate that should worry you, Peverell. She is not as forgiving as myself. If it were her you were dealing with, she would insist your soul would be the price. Myself, I will be satisfied with the one that attempts to elude me. But have no fear, she will claim what she will to restore balance. Whatever that may be, rest assured Peverell, her claim will be staked".

Harry swallowed audibly at the implications, though his mind could not fathom what that declaration could possibly ensue.

"Now be gone," Death commanded. "I have grown tired of your presence".

At the dismissal, Harry found himself pulled thankfully away from this place as blackness engulfed him.

(BREAK)

Rudolphus Lestrange was lying in wait, his associates awaiting his signal to act. It had been a frustrating few days for the man at best. He had spent almost every waking hour scouring the castle for any sign of Potter's cohorts, only to find himself largely disappointed by his efforts. He had not seen hide nor hair of the other Potter, Sirius Black, lupin or Pettigrew. He had quickly deduced that whatever had happened, must have been significant for the group to be absent from sight within the castle. It bothered him more than he would care to admit, but it was very unlike them to miss any opportunity to create havoc.

He was however, somewhat grateful for their current status as it would certainly allow his endeavour to go unimpeded. Although he would have very much preferred one or more of that particular group to fall in to his trap, he would be content with whom his target currently was.

She had made it all too easy. Whatever was distracting her had led to her laxity and had allowed for what was to befall her to happen.

The Slytherin grew impatient as the wait continued, the silence of the corridor making him edgy. Patience had never been his strong point, but for this, he would wait as long as necessary.

He heard approaching voices, feminine at that and he smirked ruefully from within his invisibility cloak as he took aim.

He had expected only one, but it was three that emerged in the corridor, causing his smile to grow further still.

He became restless, so close to firing early as the anticipation and excitement coursed through him.

After what seemed an eternity, the unaware trio found themselves in the perfect position. He allowed his wand to peek beneath the folds of his cloak, his hand twitching in anticipation of the glory to come.

He fired, his own spell followed immediately by six others.

He frowned as his main target raised a shield to block the incoming spells. Her two comrades however, were not quick enough and slumped limply to the ground as a myriad of spells struck them.

He gritted his teeth through his smirk and fired again and again, determined to bring her down also, his comrades following suit.

(BREAK)

For the first time since her conversation with James, Lily found herself in the company of her two best friends. She had truly needed the time alone to digest what it was that had been revealed to her and although she felt betrayed, she could not help but miss Harry, even more so than she had before. The sting of his loss had been unpleasant enough but knowing that he had in fact been her own flesh and blood in whatever twisted way it was, made his passing even more unbearable.

She was angry, there was no doubting that, but her anger was slowly giving way to the reality of the situation and her grief had begun to take precedence over any of the rage she felt towards Harry and James.

The latter had respected her wishes for some time alone to come to terms with what she now knew, Lily suspected also the he himself needed some time to grieve in his own way. In fact, she had not laid eyes on the boy since their meeting, something she was equally pleased as she was sorrowful for. Her conflicting feelings on the matter had done little but raise many questions, questions she was yet afraid to ask nor prepared to be answered. That would of course change in the future, but for now, she still needed time for everything to sink in.

"I remember saying that you both had the same eyes when we first met him," Marlene whispered as they made their way down a little used corridor on the second floor.

Lily nodded numbly. There was no 'I told you so' tone in the voice of the other girl, but it did not make her feel any better.

"I guess it does make sense though," Alice sighed. "Just how you were with each other, it was weird that you weren't dating. I guess we now know why".

"Just stop, please," Lily pleaded with a grimace.

The revelations themselves were bad enough, dwelling on how she thought she could have felt about the boy just made it worse.

"Sorry Lils," Marlene replied sincerely. "It's just strange, the whole thing. I mean, how did he even get here?"

"I don't know," Lily murmured.

Without warning, she sobbed deeply, her friends quickly coming to her side to comfort her as much as she would allow.

"I just wish I knew before," she choked. "How could he do this to me?"

Alice patted her caringly on her back.

"I'm sure he had his reasons," she tried.

"None of it changes how much you cared about him, even if you didn't understand it," Marlene added.

"It changes everything," Lily countered heatedly. "He was my son, and I didn't even know it," she finished with a croak.

She had tried time and time again to piece everything together. All of the strange, conflicting feelings, all of the signs that pointed to the truth. It all made sense now, but it did nothing to comfort her, it did nothing to explain. Harry knew, and he certainly treated her differently to any of the other girls. She just wished she knew why. Why was it that he never told her? Did he think she could never understand, or would disbelieve him? Did he not want her around in that way?

These questions only gave way to more for the young woman. What had his life been like before he came here? Why did he come here? Was she not around for him?

She shook her head as it began to ache with the overwhelming thoughts that had been and now were purveying her mind.

"Why don't we go and get some air?" Alice suggested.

Lily nodded and allowed herself to be led further down the corridor only to find herself instinctively reach for her wand and conjure a powerful shield as a spell shot towards them from ahead.

The spell itself and several others smashed against her shield causing it to waver precariously. She watched in horror as both Alice and Marlene collapsed around her, unmoving on the ground, their bodies absorbing further punishment from the continued attack.

She poured more magic into her shield as she attempted to identify her attackers, there certainly being more than a few judging by the amount of impacts she could feel attempting to bring her down.

She could see nothing, and the panic began to set in. There was no opportunity forthcoming for her to defend herself any further than she already was, nor any chance to mount an attack of her own.

She gritted her teeth for a final push, not allowing herself the same fate as her friends without a fight.

After what seemed an eternity, her shield broke and she was hurled down the corridor by the force of an innumerable number of spells colliding with her.

The only thing she was truly aware of was pain and her vision began to blur as he cheek rested upon the cold surface of the stone floor.

Before she lost consciousness, she spotted several bodies flying around the corridor and a powerful wind ruffled her hair as she heard the sound of bodies thudding to the ground.

She smiled grimly.

They may have gotten her, but somebody had gotten them.

It was a bittersweet loss at worst, and in the circumstances, Lily would take it. Her final thoughts before the darkness claimed her were that of a green-eyed boy in which she was certain she would be seeing sooner than she expected.

(BREAK)

Bellatrix Black had spent much of the last days within her own mind, her legs simply leading the rest of her on a mindless wander of the castle and grounds equally. Thoughts of Harry plagued her as she tried to convince herself that what had happened had not been real, that she had merely been dreaming. She knew however, that no matter how hard she worked at convincing herself of this, that it had happened. The memories and her emotions were far too vivid for it to be anything other than fact. In these few and far between moments of clarity, she wept for her loss. The loss of those vibrant eyes and the comfort of being held in his arms.

It took very little time for her heartbreak to turn once more to anger and she would expel this through a fast and dangerous display of magic, spell after spell leaving her wand, surrounding herself in a destruction that mirrored what remained of her heart.

She wanted vengeance, nothing more than to repay in kind the pain that she herself was experiencing.

"We will get them all," she promised herself.

She laughed at the hopelessness of her situation.

She was a gifted witch and one that would never doubt her ability, but she knew that she could not win against the Dark Lord. She would fail, just as Harry had, but she would face him nonetheless. Countless moments had been spent contemplating the followers of the man she knew that resided in the castle and in these countless moments, she had to fight with every fibre of her being to curb the urge to simply kill them all.

It would not do well to be hindered by her own need for blood, no matter how much her inner voice screamed for her to act. She knew immediately the finger would be firmly pointed at her, particularly if she were to slaughter the fools in the Slytherin common room, a place in which very few dared leave as things were unless to attend meals or lessons.

The Dark Lord was whom she would save her anger for. He and he alone would pay for taking her Harry from her and when she met her end at his hands, she would be back with the boy who had taken her heart with him.

She paused as her thoughts were interrupted by the sound confrontation ahead of her. Checking her disillusionment charm was in place, she proceeded, only to be caught short by what she was witnessing.

Her fury surfaced once more as she spied Harry's mother attempting to defend herself from several invisible assailants, her two friends already lying motionless on the ground around her.

Bellatrix drew her wand as Evan's shield failed and she too succumbed to the onslaught of spells sent her way, her body being propelled a considerable distance down the long hall.

She screeched in fury as she released her first spell; a powerful burst of wind in an attempt to identify her enemy, not that it would take much speculation to do so.

She smirked as she witnessed a few bodies flung high into the air and even more so ash they thudded to the ground, a few satisfying cracks of bones snapping as they impacted.

Two remained floored and the third barely made it to his knees before her bone breaker smashed into his face, the visage of August Rookwood quickly becoming an unrecognisable mess of twisted bone and flesh before he too fell limp.

At the corner of her eye she spotted movement.

" _Crucio,"_ she screeched, a cackle escaping her throat as she heard the screams of her victim, the pain he was experiencing a wonderful sound to her broken soul.

She had to duck quickly as a pair of curses sailed towards her, one a sickly yellow colour, the other the bright blue of an Asphyxiation Curse.

She cackled once more as the Carrow twins came in to view to play, her wand becoming a blur as she returned fire with the best and worst the Black's had to offer.

Alecto screamed as one of her eyes burst into flames within its socket, leaving a morbid mixture of the organ itself, blood and mucus oozing down her face, not even being able to respond with one further curse of her own.

She died painfully in the corridor of the school as her brother could do nothing but look on in shock.

She spent but a moment alone on her journey into the afterlife. Amycus, having been enraptured by the grim demise of his sister, had neglected his own defence, something he paid for dearly.

An almost serene silence fell around him as his chest constricted tighter and tighter, the pressure causing blood to flow freely from his ears and nose. Almost as quickly as it started, it ended. A strange lump had formed in his throat as the pressure moved upwards to join it.

He attempted to draw breath but could not until the pressure suddenly lifted and he gasped, hungrily drawing breath back into his body.

He frowned as he found himself on the floor, none the wiser to how he had come to be here. His eyes wandered curiously and landed on a red lumpy mass in front him, seemingly attached somewhere inside of his raw throat.

His frown led to him being wide-eyed as his fate became known to him. The red mass had begun to beat rhythmically, almost soothingly until his awareness of what this was caused it to beat quicker and quicker.

With a final, desperate howl, his heart exploded in front of his eyes, his final memory of his life being sprayed by the own contents of his lifeline.

Bellatrix panted heavily, an almost erotic aura exuding from her in the wake of the devastation she had wrought. Her hair was a mess and she was perspiring, a faint flush upon her cheek also.

She however, was not finished. She raised her wand to finish what she had started, only to be caught short by the appearance of a furious looking Albus Dumbledore who had entered the corridor on the opposite side to herself, wand aloft and ready.

She did all she could in that moment and she fled knowing that the man would only get in the way of her desire, the plea for her to remain by the headmaster only faintly heard.

Dumbledore shook his head at what he had come upon and sent off a Patronus for the matron to send for further assistance.

It was clear that these students were either dead, or severely injured at the very least.

The one thing he hoped to avoid had come to pass.

The war had made its way within the very walls of the school.

(BREAK)

Lord Voldemort hissed as his eyes finally opened, his hands immediately reaching to massage his throbbing temples. He took a few deep breaths before pushing himself up into a seated position, fighting back the urge to vomit as the taste of several potions made itself known in his mouth.

He spied his wand that had been left on his bedside table and gathered it up, basking in the warmth he felt as he grasped it.

Conjuring himself a goblet and filling it with water, he rose and took a sip of the cool liquid, feeling immensely better as he swallowed greedily.

A few moments of occlumency later and he had clarity of how he had ended up in this condition, grimacing at what permeated within his mind.

"Potter," he growled, though his growl was not one of annoyance, but one born of curiosity.

The boy had excelled what expectations the Dark Lord had of him, excelled beyond even what he would have considered excellent in itself. He had tested him and pushed him further than any other, the results having spoken for themselves.

He had grown lax in his own training, the certainty of victory never having once wavered within him. His mistake had been textbook, elementary even as he looked back on what had occurred. Though he hadn't quite been bested, it had been a very close thing and that was unacceptable.

"Never again," he spat.

In his anger at the realisation, he hurled the goblet he still held with as much force as he could muster in his weakened state, attracting the attention of whomever had been keeping a watch over him.

The door opened tentatively to reveal a relieved Abraxus Malfoy.

"My Lord, it is good to see you back with us," he intoned sincerely. "We have been rather worried".

"What have I missed?" Voldemort questioned irritably.

"We have been unable to locate Potter Manor, as expected," Abraxus began nervously. "Attacking the Black home as you know would be nothing short of foolish".

"I know this, Abraxus," The Dark Lord snapped.

Abraxus swallowed audibly.

"Rudolphus has reported success for his part. He believes that The Prince, Evans and McKinnon girl are all dead".

"He believes?"

"He had to flee, My Lord," Malfoy explained. "The attack was interrupted by Bellatrix Black. Rudolphus was the only one to escape. The Carrows were killed along with Augustus. Rabastan and Gibbon, we can't be certain," he informed him.

Voldemort growled furiously. His team inside of the school was now non-existent.

"Would you consider this a success, Abraxus?" Voldemort questioned silkily, his tone dangerous.

"No, My Lord, but it is not for me to make that judgement".

Voldemort nodded. He was seething, but he had more important things to focus on. He needed to heal and prepare for what was to come.

"Is there anything else?"

Again, Abraxus became nervous.

"There are rumours that the Potter boy has perished from his injuries," he little more than muttered.

Voldemort smirked and shook his head.

"Doubtful," he stated flatly. "A wizard of Potter's calibre would not die in such a fashion, not when another meeting between us is inevitable".

Abraxus said nothing and waited for the man to continue.

"Cease all efforts in locating the Potters and any of the boy's associates," he seemingly decided. "You will focus on recruiting and training until further notice, there are things that I must attend to in the interim," he instructed the man firmly.

Abraxus nodded his understanding and exited the room, leaving the Dark Lord to pour over the bookshelf he had been absentmindedly perusing towards the end of the conversation.

After hearing the door close, Voldemort pulled an aged tome from a hidden compartment in the bookshelf.

He needed to train, to better himself further even and this book could give him what it was he needed to do so. Reluctantly, he began scanning the pages, looking for any other ritual he could complete to aide him.

He had implemented a number of these over the years to help better his mind, body and magic, but there was still more that could be done.

He paused at section he had read several dozen times over the years, his finger tracing the elegant writing thoughtfully.

He shook his head and snapped the book shut.

He had been there, attempted it and achieved such a feat, though it was something that had had unfathomable implications.

"Horcruxes," he muttered.

It had once been a dream of a younger man to create several of these, securing his immortality, but that dream had died after he had created his first one. For such a thing to truly be effective, one needed to have another they trusted implicitly, something that the Dark Lord did not have then, nor did he have it now.

He had subsequently reversed the ritual knowing that it would be a pointless endeavour without an individual to make use of it. That however, did not stop him creating another at a later date, though he again found himself reversing the ritual after it had altered his physical appearance quite drastically.

It had left him hairless and red-eyed, a clear sign that one had dabbled in magic against nature itself. It had also left him with less humanity, something he could not afford to sacrifice as he was attempting to gain his followers. He needed his charisma and even the good looks he had blessed with at least for the time being. He needed the ability to charm those to his cause where his impressive power would fail. He needed his diplomacy in the earlier days of his uprising, something that he had less and less use of now.

"Perhaps, it may be time soon," he mumbled thoughtfully.

Although he did not trust any to that degree in this moment, there was nothing to suggest that wouldn't change at any time in the future, though, he could always ensure whomever he trusted would do as instructed. They would not even need to know what it is. The existence of such magic is not particularly well known unless one has gone as far as himself, which he doubted very much of the past few generations.

He pushed the thoughts of Horcruxes to one side as he opened the book once more to find something more realistic. The idea of a Horcrux or two was certainly appealing but was not an easy piece of magic to achieve, and it certainly left him feeling unwell for many weeks.

This was certainly something he could not afford to allow right now.

He needed to be rid of the Potter boy first of all and even perhaps Dumbledore before considering the option further.

He smiled as he found something much more obtainable and began to note down a list of ingredients he would need.

(BREAK)

The grounds of Potter Manor were eerily silent. No Thestral could be heard pawing at the ground, and no bird nor insect disturbed the night. Not even a gentle breeze disturbed the tress as was the norm in this part of the country.

All was quiet and as was still.

Within a thicket of trees, tucked away from the property lay a simple stone building; the building in which the bodies of a Potter recently passed would rest until the correct burial could be carried out.

Within this building lay one such Potter, his lifeless body unmoving and at peace, his arms crossed upon his chest as he waited for said burial.

A burial that was not to come.

Bright emerald orbs opened wide as the body pulled in a deep breath of its own accord, bringing the young man once more to consciousness.

 **A/N**

 **Another one down and I estimate around 5 more until this is complete, though this is not set in stone yet.**

 **For those worried about Lily, I will say that, no, she is not dead. It would be a rather poor showing for her not to get her talk with Harry after everything that has happened. The fate of the other two is yet to be decided.**

 **I apologise for the time that passes during each posting. Between RL; working, family and other commitments, it is not possible for me to write as much as I would like, but I am getting there, and I am grateful for your patience.**

 **I will be updating my profile soon as I haven't done so in a while.**

' **The Green in the Grey' has been put aside somewhat for this to be worked on but as I have said before, I will never abandon anything I start though I may tweak a few things with it. We shall see.**

 **I have been planning my Harry/Fleur story also and believe that will be my most difficult to write, but I am optimistic that I will do the pairing justice.**

 **The Blacks will not feature so heavily in that attempt and Harry will be much more independent, but all will be explained of course. I will reveal however that he will be attending canon Hogwarts as a student, something I have yet to do with any of my stories thus far.**

 **I am also working on my own writing ventures, things that I am hoping to get published in the future. I will be looking for some people to read my original work as I write it for critiquing and constructive feedback. You can always drop me a message if that is something you would be interested in.**

 **It will of course be fantasy based and I am quite excited for this as I have been researching for a very long time in preparation.**

 **Anyway, thank you all again for your continued support, it really does keep us writers motivated when you review and follow etc.**

 **TBR**


	15. Memories of the Future Past

**A/N**

 **A long here for you guys, and an apology for the delay in getting this out to you. It was much more difficult to write than I anticipated.**

 **My profile has been updated, so check it out and you will see what I am currently working on and what you can expect in the future from me.**

 **Anyway, onwards with the next chapter, there's only a few to go.**

 **TBR**

Albus Dumbledore rubbed his eyes tiredly before replacing his half-moon spectacles, resting them once more upon the bridge of his nose. His sighed as he peered over them at the people assembled in front of his desk, his mood more than a little sombre.

The night had been long, and the headmaster had had much to deal with in his capacity. Three students had been killed in the skirmish, two others were now under Auror guard in St Mungo's and the hospital wing was playing host to three Gryffindors who Albus had easily identified as being the victims of an orchestrated attack. Two other students, had vanished without trace. The venerable wizard had no doubt that the other Lestrange brother had been involved but had seemingly abandoned his comrades when the tide of events turned against them.

He was a wanted man for his part.

Dumbledore had first ensured that the remaining living teens received the medical attention they needed, and though he was certain all would pull through, the health of them was questionable at best.

He himself had alerted the Aurors before carrying out an investigation of his own, quickly deducing what it was that had transpired in that corridor and the results had left him both furious and pained.

He believed that he could prevent such tragedies from occurring within the walls of the school, but his habit of seeing the best in people had once again been folly and now he found himself in his office, the parents of the three victims already informed and in the hospital wing with their children. Now it was time to discuss this further with the Blacks and Potters respectfully. He had of course extended this invitation to the Lestranges, but as he expected, they had not arrived.

"Why is it you have brought us here, Dumbledore?" Arcturus questioned irritably.

Dumbledore sighed once more.

"I have asked you here, Lord Black, to discuss Bellatrix's involvement in the events of this evening," the headmaster explained.

"Our Bellatrix would not have attacked any of those girls," Druella broke in furiously at the perceived accusation.

Dumbledore shook his head and held up a placating hand.

"She did not," he confirmed. "She did however intervene on their behalf, and because of that, three other students were killed".

Arcturus rose to his feet slowly, his eyes narrowing as he placed his hands on the desk of the headmaster.

"And had she not intervened, you would still have three dead students," he growled.

Dumbledore nodded his agreement sagely.

"I am not disputing that, Lord Black," he bowed. "I am merely explaining what has happened".

Arcturus flared his nostrils, preparing to curse the older man if he even suggested that his Granddaughter would be prosecuted.

The headmaster noted the shift in demeanour of the other and leaned back in his chair, not wanting this to become a confrontation. The castle had seen enough violence for one day.

"I am merely concerned about her, Lord Black," he intoned sincerely. "Ever since young Harry has passed, she has rarely been seen, and from what I witnessed this evening, she is not coping well at all".

Arcturus relaxed slightly and nodded grudgingly. He was aware that the girl's state of mind had become tragically skewed, but he did not believe the madness would affect her so. Bellatrix was strong, much stronger than most of the family. He knew she loved Harry deeply, it had become obvious to him the moment he saw them dancing together at the ball but to believe she would allow herself to be consumed by the madness as she seemingly had, did not sit well with the man.

"I will find her," he vowed as he took his seat once more.

Dumbledore smiled weakly, yet encouragingly at the man. Arcturus Black was not the most pleasant of men he had the pleasure of meeting, but the dedication and love of his family was undeniable.

"As things are, I didn't feel it prudent to inform the Aurors that she was present this evening, I don't believe them pursuing her for an interview would be beneficial, nor attempting to arrest her".

Arcturus and Pollux both nodded gratefully.

"Surely the Aurors will figure it out," Dorea broke in worriedly.

"I think not," Dumbledore mused aloud as he pulled his beard slightly. "Far too much residual magic was left behind, it would be almost impossible to prove who had cast in the heat of the moment".

"What is it you get from covering this up?" Pollux demanded.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"I am covering nothing, merely neglecting certain facts".

"And why would you do that?" Druella questioned suspiciously.

"Because Bellatrix deserves a chance at redemption," the headmaster sighed tiredly. "Right now, she is not her true self and because of that, she acted rashly. She does not deserve to be prosecuted in the circumstances".

Arcturus grinned internally but found himself cringing also.

For decades he had openly spat on the views that this man held in regard to redemption and second chances and now it seemed such a stance was benefitting him somewhat. If the man sat before him chose to, he could make life for the Blacks very difficult with what he had, though Arcturus doubted that he was merely doing this from the goodness of his heart. Politically-minded men such as Albus Dumbledore would remember this and expect favour in return in the future.

Arcturus nodded firmly at the headmaster before rising and tapping his family ring with his wand.

"I will find her now," he promised.

"I truly do hope you can help her, Lord Black. It would be a shame to see such a gifted young lady wasted," Dumbledore offered.

Arcturus said nothing as he made his way to the door of the office to begin his search, his ring pulsing gently on his finger.

"I'm coming also," Pollux declared as he too stood and kissed wife on the cheek.

Arcturus rose his eyebrows in surprise, though nodded his consent.

"I'm coming too," Druella added.

Pollux shook his head and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"One of us need to be home, just in case she goes there," he explained gently. "It's okay Dru, we will find her," he promised.

Druella was torn. She did not want to sit and wait for her daughter to be found, but she knew her husband's suggestion was logical.

She nodded her understanding.

Pollux gave her a soft smile and a chaste kiss before joining his father, both men leaving silently, no words needing to be spoken between them. They knew the only thing they needed to do was find Bellatrix, though they suspected that wouldn't be an easy task.

(BREAK)

Having checked on the girls, James and Sirius one final, Charlus and Dorea flooed back to Potter Manor, arriving in the office of the former. The mood was downcast, the pair having suffered much in such a short amount of time. The loss of Harry had hit them hard as expected, but it had hit James much more so. With what had come to pass this evening, they had expected their son to be filled with fury, a desire for vengeance. What they saw however when they laid eyes upon the boy, was defeat. Something within James had broken at the loss of his son and with the recent attack, the elder Potters had no idea how he would recuperate.

"What can we do, Charlus?" Dorea questioned, her tone desperate.

Charlus swallowed deeply and dragged a hand through his hair, not at all able to offer his wife any comforting words.

"I don't know," he huffed sadly.

He suddenly stiffened and drew his wand, alerted to a presence within his home.

"Somebody is here," he whispered.

Dorea too drew her wand, ready to defend her home immediately.

Charlus held a finger to his lips as he approached the door to his office, removing his robes as he did so. He left the room and made his way to where he felt the intruder was, the family wards leading him.

He was furious that someone would dare enter his home without permission and more than a little curious to see how they had did so. His already fraying temper gave way as he spotted a man stood by the fireplace in the entrance hall, a violent severing curse leaving his wand with nary a thought.

To his immense surprise, the man simply swatted the spell aside as though it was little more than a stinging hex.

The older Potter did not allow this to deter him as he began casting something much stronger, faltering as he took in the appearance of whom it was that stood before him.

"H-Harry?" he questioned disbelievingly.

The boy offered him an apologetic smile before nodding.

"Not quite as dead as you thought," he stated humourlessly.

"Is it really you?" Dorea broke in, wide-eyed.

Harry swallowed deeply as he nodded.

"It is," he confirmed.

In the blink of an eye he found himself wrapped up in the woman's arms as she sobbed into his chest.

"You stupid, stupid boy," she chastised through her tears. "How could you be so reckless?"

Harry pulled her flush to him and held her tight.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into her hair. "I thought I could end it".

Dorea shook her head.

"But you were dead," Charlus pointed out dumbly.

"Not exactly," Harry sighed, just wondering how to put into words what had happened.

He managed to however, leaving both Charlus and Dorea in a state of shock.

"Were it to be anyone else, I wouldn't believe it," the older man declared, shaking his head.

He stood and pulled the younger man into a tight embrace, dumbfounded that he was with them, but happy he had returned.

"What do you know about the Peverell's?" Harry questioned.

Charlus frowned as he thought.

"The name is familiar," he muttered.

Dorea snorted.

"The Peverell's were a very old family, one that disappeared from existence almost a thousand years ago," she mused aloud. "The family is shrouded in both mystery and legend. They were apparently the ones that tricked Death and got the Deathly Hallows in return".

Charlus guffawed.

"That's a children's story, Dor," he chuckled.

"Apparently, our ancestors are Peverell's," Harry shrugged. "Our family magic was a gift from Death".

Charlus rose a sceptical eye brow whilst Dorea hummed thoughtfully.

"It is possible," she whispered. "According to what I know, the Peverell's vanished just before the Potter line appeared".

Charlus frowned.

"Impossible," he mumbled.

"The Hallows are real, although the story isn't quite how it happened," Harry interjected.

"What do you mean?" Dorea returned curiously.

Harry gave the duo the events of what happened according to Death, leaving them both stunned.

Dorea suddenly giggled.

"What's funny?" Charlus questioned.

"You always made fun of me for how dark my family is, but I don't think any of the Blacks have ever summoned Death via a ritual," she tittered.

Charlus mumbled incoherently and shook his head.

"So, you're saying that our magic comes from Death himself and that the Hallows are real?" he continued with a mocking tone.

Harry nodded seriously.

"We have one of them," he confirmed. "The cloak," he finished when Charlus frowned once more.

The man began to laugh hysterically.

"So, we have had one of the Deathly Hallows in our family all this time?"

Again, Harry nodded.

"Well, it seems that we have been misusing it," he chuckled as he scratched his chin. "I used to use it to sneak around school with your Grandmother and James has obviously been using it for his pranks. I bet you yourself used it for something similar".

Harry smiled as memories of his cloak use with Ron and Hermione surfaced.

"What about the other two?" Dorea broke in.

"I know where they are," Harry revealed with a grin.

"Where?"

"Dumbledore has the wand and Voldemort has the ring, though he has no idea what it is".

Charlus growled.

"So old Albus got his power from the wand?"

Harry shook his head.

"He can't use it to its full potential," he explained, as he remembered the words of Death. "He doesn't have Peverell blood, so it won't work as it should," he shrugged. "He is just a powerful wizard".

Charlus again grumbled under his breath.

"And Voldemort has the stone?" Dorea asked.

"He does, and he also has Peverell blood but has ruined his capability with the magic because of what he has done to himself," Harry explained.

"That's a relief," Charlus sighed. "Though, being related to him doesn't make me feel any better about it," he muttered.

"You're telling me," Harry agreed, his stomach turning at the thought of his distant relative.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Charlus enquired.

"Death advised that I work on the family magic," Harry shrugged. "I will need to get the wand though, it is important from what I learnt".

"And you think Dumbledore will just give it up?"

"I don't know, but I will take it from him if necessary," Harry vowed.

"He is a powerful wizard," Charlus reminded him, his tone bitter.

"He has what I need," Harry replied.

"Well, before you do anything, we need to fill you in on what's happened since you've been gone," Dorea declared, her demeanour shifting considerably.

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned.

"A lot has happened in the past week, Harry," Charlus answered sadly.

Harry listened as the two elder Potters informed him of the events since he duelled Voldemort, his heart sinking the more he learnt. By the time they were finished, he was pacing frantically, torn on what it was he should do first.

"Arcturus and Pollux are already searching for Bella," Dorea explained softly. "And James, Sirius and Frank won't leave the girls sides until they wake".

"I want to see them," he decided, knowing that there was little he could do until Bellatrix was found. "And then I will have words with Dumbledore".

Charlus and Dorea both nodded their agreement, knowing that James would also be incredibly happy to see Harry alive and well.

"Let's go now then," Charlus urged, receiving no protests from the other two.

(BREAK)

The pulsing in the family ring had begun to increase dramatically as Pollux and Arcturus exited the castle, the latter worrying that Bellatrix had left the school grounds where finding her would be made much more difficult. It comforted him very little as the pulsing further quickened as Father and Son reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Shit," Pollux cursed as he noted the grimace of the elder Black. Although he himself had never entered any further than the first line of trees, he had heard rumours of what dwelled within the further thickets.

"It doesn't seem we have much of a choice," Arcturus sighed, feeling equally reluctant to explore any further.

Both men however drew their wands before entering, the Black Patriarch casting several spells on himself and his son to avoid detection as best he could, though he wasn't certain how well they could hold up against magical creatures.

"I am surprised that you joined me, Pollux," Arcturus stated, his tone almost demanding an explanation.

"She is my daughter," the other pointed out, somewhat irritably.

"So, you did learn from your attempts last Christmas?"

Pollux nodded, though a grimace was not absent. Clearly, admitting he had been wrong did not sit well with him.

"I may have been hasty in my judgement," he sighed. "Druella has certainly reminded me of that daily," he chuckled darkly.

"She is a good woman," Arcturus praised. "You chose well".

Pollux smiled warmly, not something that he allowed very often.

"I got lucky with her," he said proudly. "It was wrong of me to take that freedom from the girls. I didn't really think it through. I thought that they expected me to arrange a marriage for them," he huffed, more irritated with himself. "None had ever openly spoken against such a thing or even mentioned potential suitors until the Potter boy came along".

Arcturus nodded his understanding.

"He was a blessing," he little more than whispered.

Pollux snorted slightly.

"I never thought I would agree with you on that, but he was. It is a shame what happened to him, I have never seen my Bella so enamoured with anything before".

"He will be missed".

The two men fell silent once more as they continued deeper into the forest, not at all keen on attracting the attention of anything untoward, the silence only broken by a myriad of sounds, twigs snapping under feet, or the gentle rustling of the trees.

"Do you get the feeling we are being watched?" Pollux whispered as a shiver travelled up his spine.

"I don't doubt we are," Arcturus replied, his eyes scanning the area in front of them.

Much to their relief, nothing made itself known and Arcturus held up a hand to prevent Pollux moving any further forward, he himself surprised at what he was witnessing.

The pair had reached a rather large clearing, and in the centre, sat Bellatrix surrounded by Thestrals as she absently stroked one, muttering to herself, the only light visible radiating from her wand.

"He took my Harry," she sighed sadly. "He was just like you, you know?" she seemingly spoke to one of the beasts. "Just like you, but his eyes were always green," she explained with a smile.

"Bella?" Arcturus called as he revealed himself.

Startled, the girl shot to her feet, her wand trained on the intruder. Her sudden movement causing the gathered Thestrals to scatter.

"You scared them away," she accused as a tear rolled down her cheek her violet eyes glassy. "They were all that I had left of my Harry, AND YOU SCARED THEM AWAY!" she shrieked, her eyes becoming narrowed and focused.

"Bella, wait," Arcturus pleaded, but it was too late.

The moment he uttered the first syllable of her name, she launched her attack; a trio of dark curses towards her Grandfather.

Arcturus hastily erected a shield before firing back, knowing that he needed to subdue the girl before she hurt him or herself.

The two began to trade spells in earnest, the older man finding himself exceedingly impressed with his granddaughter. It wasn't until Bellatrix was suddenly sprawled on the ground beneath the weight of her father did either acknowledge his presence.

The girl however, was not ready to admit defeat and thrashed beneath Pollux, screaming and cursing the man, falling silent only after Arcturus stunned her.

"She's mad," Pollux shakily declared, his heart breaking from seeing his daughter in such a state.

"She is," Arcturus agreed unhappily, wishing there was something he could do.

The Black madness was well documented, and it seemed that Bella was the latest to fall victim to it. He shook his head sadly as he bound her and began levitating her out of the forest.

"Is there anything we can do?" Pollux asked desperately.

Arcturus took a deep breath as he shook his head.

"She can only help herself. She needs to deal with what she has lost".

Pollux stroked his daughters' hair softly as he fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Not like this, Bella," he begged.

(BREAK)

James Potter clutched desperately on to the pale hand that belonged to Lily Evans, his unblinking eyes gazing emptily at her face. One would believe that the girl was merely sleeping, her breathing shallow, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with each inhale and exhale respectively. But James Potter knew better.

For the longest of time he wished to simply watch her sleep, and in the cruellest way, his wish had been granted. Her physical wounds had been healed, now it was a matter of time before she woke. He silently begged for such a thing to come and to come quickly. Even if he never experienced her truly sleeping again, he could find contentment in that. But for now, he needed her eyes to flutter open, just so that he could believe she would be okay.

He had lost much in recent days, though he was unaware of how much time had gone by since Harry had died, to where he found himself now. To him, the minutes could have been hours and the hours days, it mattered not. In this inordinate amount of time he had experienced heartbreak, fury and a myriad of emotions he could no longer comprehend.

All he felt now was numbness.

He had shed tears until none would no longer come, and he had shouted himself hoarse. There was nothing left for the young man. The days past had been the worst in his life and there was sign that they would be improving any time soon.

He was lost.

The death of Harry in itself had broken him and what had transpired this night had pounded the shards of his broken heart to dust, leaving him with nothing left to give.

And so, he sat vigil by the bed of the girl he loved, praying to any and all that would here his pleas that those beautiful green eyes would open once more, to make him feel just something once again.

He was pulled from his reverie by a familiar hand being placed on his shoulder and he instinctually met the gaze of his mother, her eyes watery and a hopeful smile adorning her eyes.

James frowned in confusion.

Dorea Potter had been equally broken at the loss of Harry and yet, here she stood, full of something that James no longer understood, his hope having left him what seemed to be long ago.

"There's someone here to see you," Dorea whispered.

James swallowed deeply and shook his head.

"I don't want to see anyone," he croaked, his voice not having been used much.

It had been difficult enough facing Lily's parents as they visited earlier this evening. The two now in the quarters that the headmaster had allowed them within the castle.

"I really think you will change your mind when you see him".

James sighed and rose, his legs stiff from his duration in the uncomfortable chair.

His mother stepped aside, and his heart jumped into his throat, cutting off any possible reply as Harry came into view.

He could only stand dumbly still, his eyes not believing what they were seeing.

The other boy approached, his eyes full of sorrow and regret as his gaze transfixed on his own. The arms wrapping around him felt oh so real enough and he did all he could do in that moment. His emotions returned with a vengeance as he melted into the embrace, his arms pulling the other uncomfortably tight to him as though he would never let go. He breathed in the scent that filled his nose and he sobbed loudly, unable to do anything else.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, the broken visage of his father amplifying the regret he felt considerably.

No other words were spoken until the pair were pulled into a tighter embrace by Sirius Black, he too spending time in the hospital wing with Marlene after her ordeal.

"How are they?" Harry questioned.

A trembling James took his seat once more, his legs unable to support his weight any longer under the strain of the emotions he was experiencing.

"We won't know until they wake up," he choked.

"And Marlene?"

Sirius shook his head sadly.

"The same," he mumbled sadly.

Harry rubbed his shoulder in an attempt to bring some comfort to the other teen, though he knew his attempt was futile.

"They will pull through," he tried.

Sirius smiled weakly.

"How are you back?" he questioned.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"It's complicated, but I wasn't actually dead".

Sirius snorted.

"It's always complicated with you, Harry".

There was no anger or frustration in his tone, only exhaustion.

"I am sorry," Harry offered. "What happened wasn't in my control".

"We can talk about it later," James broke in with a huff. "I'm happy you're back Harry, Merlin knows I would have given anything for it, but we have other things to worry about right now," he pointed out as he gestured to the unconscious form of Lily.

Harry nodded his understanding.

"And I am furious with you, but disappointed more than anything else," James continued. "I can't help it," he added apologetically.

Harry swallowed and nodded once more. He expected such a thing though it hurt to see the disappointment James was feeling so clearly.

"I will give you some space," he declared, eliciting a stiff nod from James who prevented himself from reaching out and forcing Harry to remain firmly by his side.

He wanted nothing more than to keep him there to ensure that he did no such thing again, but the other side of him wanted Harry away from him so that the boy did not have to see the conflicting feelings that were warring within him.

Harry turned and made his way to the door of the hospital wing, dejected. He expected people to be upset with him, even angry, that he could handle. Disappointment was not something he was familiar in dealing with. He would have much preferred to be shouted at or even cursed.

"She knows," the voice of James sounded once more, causing him to pause his steps. "They all do".

"She knows?" Harry questioned worriedly, not sure what James was insinuating.

"She knows everything," James confirmed, his tone slightly warning as he pointed to the redhead. "You will have a lot of explaining to do when she wakes up".

Harry rubbed his eyes and left the room, his now panicked heart pounding in his chest. He had no idea what he could say to the girl, but he knew he had avoided the subject long enough. A part of him was relieved that she was aware of everything, the other side terrified of what it could do to their relationship.

"Shit," he growled as he made his way to Dumbledore's office.

That made two conversations he was not looking forward to needing to be had.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk, the place he had spent most of the last week, deep in thought. One of his hands absently stroked the plumage of his familiar gently as the other rested on his desk as his thoughtfulness continued. The loss of Harry Potter was weighing heavy on his mind, but it was the implications of the loss that were heavier on his shoulders. Without Harry here to carry the burden of Tom, as the boy himself had opted to, Albus knew that the responsibility would fall to him to end the man. It was an inevitability that it would do so, the wizarding public would once more look to him as their beacon in their time of need.

He sighed softly as he shook his head.

He had killed once before at the behest of the world, the stain never having truly lifted from his soul, and to the very thought of doing so again, did not sit well with the headmaster.

Just the thought of carrying out such an action filled him with dread and left him feeling unclean.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a gentle cough as one of the portraits cleared their throat loudly enough to gain his attention.

"Albus, the young Potter is here to see you," the lady spoke, her voice cautious.

Dumbledore frowned, but nodded as he flicked his wand towards the door to allow the boy entrance. He could not begin to fathom what young James needed from him.

The usually unflappable man found himself sputtering incoherently as his own eyes locked on to the familiar emerald of Harry James Potter. The simple act of the boy walking into the room left the headmaster feeling lighter than he had in days and the twinkle in his eye was back immediately.

A twinge of guilt plagued him for but a moment as he realised much of his relief was found in the knowledge that it would not have to be himself that would kill Tom. That guilt lifted however as Harry smiled reassuringly at him, as though he had read his thoughts.

"Could it possibly be you, my boy?"

Harry chuckled and nodded at the shock still prevalent on the old man's face.

At the first glimpse of Dumbledore, Harry knew that he was deeply unsettled, the ever-present twinkle in his eyes missing, his shoulders hunched and even bitterness lining his features.

The instant change in the headmaster's demeanour, made him smile as he saw whatever was affecting him so lift before his very eyes. It was clear that he was now feeling relieved and Harry could not blame him whatsoever. He knew it too, that if anything were to happen to him, wizarding Britain would immediately look to Dumbledore to fix everything, and not for the first time.

"But how?"

"We will get to that," Harry promised. "But there are other things need to discuss," he sighed as he took the seat opposite the older man.

The headmaster clasped his hands together as he waited for Harry to continue. He had no doubt that this was important and in the good mood he now found himself in, he was willing to wait a while for the answers he wanted.

"What is it you know of the Peverell's?" the teen asked seriously.

For only a second, the eyes of Albus Dumbledore widened, before they receded, the slip in the man's demeanour caused by such an unexpected query.

"Can I assume that your interest in the subject is not born from simple curiosity?" Dumbledore returned diplomatically.

"I think we both know why I am asking," Harry deadpanned.

"The Deathly Hallows," the headmaster acknowledged with a slight bow. "Let me ask you what it is you know".

Harry shook his head in amusement a light smile gracing his lips. He didn't expect the man to be forthcoming with him, but he certainly did not expect him to resort to a tit for tat approach.

"You first," Harry offered. "Then I will explain what I know".

Dumbledore conceded with another bow, not particularly keen on discussing the subject. He trusted Harry implicitly, the boy had earned that above all others. The Hallows however, was not something to take as lightly as the pair were. They were dangerous, and many had lost their lives in the pursuit of them.

"I must admit, I never expected you to take such an interest in them. You are very much a realist, Harry, not one to chase what most would consider legend".

"You would usually be right," the teen admitted. "I never even knew of the story behind them until recently".

"Ahh, so you know the tale of the three brothers," the old man exclaimed excitedly.

"I know what most believe to be the tale, and also the truth".

He eyebrows of the headmaster rose significantly at that statement. He never believed the events how they had been portrayed in The Beedle and the Bard, but it was something he had not dwelled on much. Even when he carried out his research all those decades ago, he focused very little on the story surrounding them other than the characters. It had taken a surprisingly short amount of time to identify the Peverell's as the protagonists.

"What I know of the Peverell's is very limited," he began diplomatically, his eyes boring in to those of the younger man attempting to comprehend his reactions. "I do know that the line vanished almost one thousand years ago, not long before the Potters surfaced".

Harry smiled again, not at all startled that the aged Headmaster had made that connection.

"I deduced, though there is little evidence to suggest it, that the Potter's were directly linked to the Peverell's. Would I be on the right track?"

"You would," Harry agreed.

"As were the Gaunts".

Dumbledore visibly paled and swallowed deeply causing Harry a small amount of delight that he had not considered that.

"The Gaunts?" the older man whispered.

Harry nodded.

"What else do you know?" he continued, hoping that throwing the man off would loosen his tongue.

"Very little," Dumbledore sighed.

Harry could see the truth in his eyes and he decided that this situation called for neither pomp nor circumstance. Dumbledore had what he needed, and he would rather be candid with the man.

"Then let me tell you what I know, and then we can go from there".

"Please".

Harry explained the events surrounding the Hallows and the Peverell's themselves causing the Headmaster to turn several shades of colour throughout the talk.

"Such a power is unheard of," Dumbledore whispered. "Thankfully," he added under his breath.

"The Hallows will only fully work as intended when wielded by those of the Peverell blood," Harry continued darkly. "I need the wand".

Dumbledore swallowed deeply as he drew said wand from within his sleeve and gazed at the stick longingly. There was no emotional attachment to the thing itself, but it served as a reminder to the old man of what it was he had lost throughout his life.

"I won the allegiance of this from Gellert," he muttered, more to himself. "I expected it to give me more than it did, but I couldn't allow it to be in the hands of any other. Too many have died to possess this wand and I saw it as my duty to protect the world using it and equally from it".

"I know," Harry replied genuinely. "But you are already a powerful wizard and without Peverell blood, the power the wand could give you is negligible".

Dumbledore nodded and smiled.

"I thought as much," he returned.

He sighed deeply.

"There was a time when I wished for nothing more than to possess all three Hallows. But that dream died along with Ariana," he lamented.

"Ariana?"

The old man smiled warmly, though his eyes betrayed the underlying sadness.

"My sister, Harry. She died when I was around your age. Ever since then, it was only the stone I desired, only for a few moments so that I could speak to her one last time. To apologise for how things ended the way they did".

An errant tear broke free from one of his blue eyes as he continued to gaze at the wand, his finger tracing the intricate design.

Harry himself felt an emotional lump form in his throat at such a rare showing of emotion from Dumbledore, not something he ever expected to experience.

"I have the cloak," he whispered. "And I know where the stone is".

Albus' eyes shot up at the declaration, full of hope yet a tinge of fear also.

"You do?" the headmaster questioned.

Harry nodded.

"Once I have it, I will allow you to use it," he offered sincerely causing the old man to smile brightly.

"You are a good man, Harry".

"I do need the wand however," the teen reminded the man. "It is important".

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded.

"I would have given it up to you even without the promise of using the stone," he said with a smile. "I am an old man Harry and could pass any time. At least this way, I know it is being protected".

Harry drew his own wand and cast a silent, underpowered disarming charm at the professor causing the wand to glide into his hand.

The moment he gripped it, it began to vibrate the magic within the wand becoming tangible at his touch.

His senses were immediately assaulted as the wand seemed to be judging him, ascertaining whether he was worth its allegiance.

After a moment, he took a much-needed breath after what felt an eternity of holding it, only to be halted by an unpleasantly familiar voice, one that had become known to him recently.

" _Finally, another Peverell. You will certainly do,"_ the voice whispered in his mind.

Harry frowned before falling to his knees as dozens of images passed through his mind, a myriad of spells being cast and the effects they had. He saw the wand in the hands of all of those that had possessed it, what they had achieved and the journey the wand had taken until the images stopped as it became his.

" _Yes Peverell, I have much to teach you. You have been touched and blessed by my master, and for that, I deem you worthy of me"._

The wand fell silent once more and Harry shakily made his way back to his feet as Dumbledore looked on at him in concern.

"It spoke to me," he explained, taking his seat once more.

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose significantly.

"I must say, that was very different to what happened when the wand bonded to me".

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for me it was the same as it was when I received my very first wand," the headmaster explained as he scratched his chin.

"It wasn't like that," Harry sighed. "It showed me all of its masters and a lot of spells. It told me it has a lot to teach me".

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully. "I imagine the wand has seen much through its time," he mused.

"I guess I will just have to see what happens," Harry shrugged as he began planning his first uses of the wand.

Dumbledore nodded his agreement.

"May I inquire to what it is you will do next?"

Harry dragged a hand through his hair, the conversation with Death playing on his mind.

"I need to find Bella," he whispered sadly, his guilt beginning to surface once more. "And then, keep training. Tom will be much more prepared next time we meet".

"Indeed," the headmaster agreed gravely. "Perhaps, I can offer my assistance?'

Harry was more than a little surprised by this.

"You want to help me train?"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"You are without doubt, the most gifted wizard I have met in decades, Harry. However, I do believe that I have a lot to teach that would benefit you. You do not get to my age and experience what I have, without picking up a few things".

Harry snorted at the understatement. Regardless of any differences between them, both past and present, Dumbledore was still an incredible wizard, something that none could deny.

"I would be honoured to receive any help you can give," Harry accepted sincerely.

Dumbledore smiled warmly as he offered the teen his hand.

"I imagine there is much that we can teach each other".

Harry took the hand and returned the smile.

An arrangement such as this could only benefit him and if Dumbledore could get something out of it, then it seemed to be an opportunity not to be missed, for both men.

The amiable atmosphere between the two was broken as a patronus appeared in the room; a fox that spoke in the voice of Arcturus Black.

"You are needed at home".

The message was curt, and Harry swallowed worriedly. It would seem that Bellatrix had been found and now he needed to be with her. His heart thumped in his chest as his guilt made another appearance.

He could not even begin to imagine what Bella had been going through. All he knew was that he wanted to be with her, to make her understand why he did what he did and do anything he could to make things right with her.

"May I use your floo?" he asked the headmaster.

Dumbledore bowed his head in consent.

"I am most concerned about Miss Black," he whispered sombrely. "She did not leave your side and my last sighting of her, was not particularly promising".

Harry dragged a hand through his hair and nodded.

"Honesty and sincerity, Harry," the man advised before the teen disappeared into the flames.

Dumbledore smiled as he began stroking the plumage of his familiar once more, eliciting a trill from the creature.

(BREAK)

For the second time that evening, Charlus and Dorea appeared back at Potter Manor in the office of the former. Charlus immediately sunk into his chair and summoned a bottle of Firewhiskey from the cabinet, something he seemed to be doing more regularly as of late.

"What are we going to do about him, Charlus?" Dorea questioned as she took a seat opposite her husband.

The man shook his head in frustration as he poured a drink.

"I don't know. But he needs to understand that his actions affect all of us too. For Merlin's sake, the boy was nothing short of dead".

The last past was shouted as the man hurled the still full glass against the wall. Dorea did not even flinch as she approached him and put an arm around his shoulders. She knew he was not truly angry, just very upset. He loved Harry and losing him, then getting him back, had left him shaken much more than was outwardly obvious until now.

"He knows that, Charlus," she comforted as she rubbed his back soothingly.

"It hurt me, Dor," he whispered. "Knowing that he went alone and did what he did. I should have been there".

Dorea nodded at his words.

"What would you have done in his position?"

Charlus shook his head.

"Knowing Harry, as you do, what is it you would have done?" she probed further.

"Probably the same thing," he conceded as he physically deflated. "That doesn't stop me being angry with him".

"No, but it helps you understand. He is terrified of losing us as we are of him and we both know that if we could keep him out of it, we would".

Charlus dragged a hand through his hair, his frustration surfacing once more.

The conversation was halted as the floo chimed, notifying the duo of a call waiting.

"That'll be Arcturus, I imagine," Dorea declared as she straightened out her robes.

Charlus flicked his wand towards the fireplace and the clearly exhausted face of his brother-in-law appeared in the flames.

"We found her," he sighed. "She was in the bloody forest talking to the Thestrals, put up quite a fight too," he frowned.

"How is she?" Dorea asked worriedly.

Arcturus shook his head.

"We've had to leave her stunned and locked in her room. Whenever she wakes, she just wants to flee".

Dorea sighed and nodded sadly.

"We've taken her wand and Pollux is brewing some calming droughts. Beyond that, there's little else we can do".

Charlus and Dorea exchanged a glance and the latter nodded.

"You had better come through, Arcturus," he sighed. "There's been an unexpected development".

The man frowned but nodded his consent before his head disappeared from the flames. But a moment later, they flared green once more and he stepped through, his usually kempt appearance dishevelled.

"What kind of developments?" he questioned brusquely.

"Harry's back," Charlus replied simply.

Arcturus narrowed his eyes.

"I know the boy is bloody gifted," he growled. "But you don't just come back from the dead".

Charlus sighed.

"He wasn't ever dead. He hasn't explained everything, but he came back asking questions about the Peverell's and some other things," he explained with a shrug.

"The Peverell's?" Arcturus inquired thoughtfully, a slight smirk forming. "What did he say about them?"

"He mentioned the Hallows and that we are related to them," Charlus returned. "I didn't take much of it in to be honest, I was just shocked to see him".

Arcturus' eyes had a sudden gleam to them. He had of course heard of the family and the Hallows also. He had more than once contemplated what he would do with them. He however, was a pragmatic man and had never looked into the items beyond fantasy. Many had wasted their lives in search of them and he would not be one to follow their lead. If Harry was taking an interest in them, he must certainly have a solid lead.

He shook his head of those thoughts. The only thing that mattered to him truly was that Harry was his best chance of helping Bellatrix.

The sooner, the better.

"Where is he?"

"Speaking to Dumbledore at the moment. He knows about Bella and is waiting to be informed the moment she is found," Dorea answered.

Arcturus nodded as he fired off a patronus to send for the boy.

It was only a minute later that he came through the fire, looking more exhausted and out of sorts than Arcturus did.

The older man approached him, a scowl marring his features and Harry gripped his wand in preparation to defend himself if necessary.

"Now, I should be cursing you, you selfish little shit," Arcturus hissed angrily. "But my Granddaughter needs you and you had better find a way to put this right," he warned.

Harry swallowed and nodded. He didn't fear Arcturus in any way, but he was certainly not keen on alienating himself from the man. His anger was righteous, and Harry knew that had it been anyone else in this position, Arcturus would do all he could to end their existence.

The Black Lord sighed irritably as he sat down.

"Take a seat, Potter. There are some things you need to understand before you see her".

Harry complied immediately and waited for Arcturus to continue.

He took a few moments to ponder the situation and huffed before speaking.

"Have you heard of the Black Madness before?" he queried.

Harry frowned but nodded.

"Walburga, although a portrait, was definitely suffering from it when I first met her".

Arcturus nodded gravely.

"That doesn't surprise me," he muttered.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly before elaborating.

"Our magic is very unique," he began again. "Powerful, undoubtedly, but it comes at a price. The magic we wield consumes, I guess you could say it is parasitic in a way, not physically," he added firmly, "but it can have a detrimental effect on the mind".

Harry nodded his understanding, he had suspected as much.

"That is why all of the Blacks train in occlumency from a young age, to prepare them to use our magic. Without it, it is only a matter of time before you begin to lose your sanity," he shrugged. "It works, for the most part".

"Unless something traumatic happens and you lose your grasp on your occlumency shields," Harry interjected quietly, his understanding becoming clearer.

Arcturus nodded.

"Losing you caused Bella to neglect her occlumency and now she is suffering for that. She is barely coherent, and her moods are erratic. One moment she is crying, the next laughing and only seconds later, completely furious," he sighed sadly.

The guilt Harry already felt worsened the more Arcturus explained.

"I don't know what is going on in her head, Harry. But she's not even trying to fight it. She loves you. She loves you so much that she can't even face being without you".

Harry swallowed the lump of emotion that had formed in his throat and stood.

"Let's go," he whispered hoarsely, wanting nothing more than to be with her, to apologise and do all he could to make things right.

Arcturus nodded.

"She is at home, but be warned, I have no idea how she will react to seeing you".

The older man took a handful of floo powder and disappeared into the flames from which he arrived, and Harry followed immediately after, having no clue what he would find when he saw the girl.

Arcturus was already conversing with Pollux when he arrived, the latter of the two gaping dumbly at the sight of the teen as he took in his appearance.

"Potter?" he questioned disbelievingly.

"Where is she?" Harry returned.

Pollux shook his head, at least a dozen thoughts trying to take precedence all at once.

"In her room," Arcturus replied. "Top floor, last on the right".

Harry left the two men to their discussion, the furious whispers of the duo following him as he ascended the staircase and found the door that belonged to Bellatrix.

He found it locked tightly with several charms and wards. He braced himself before drawing his wand and flicking it a few times in the direction of the barrier. Once the spells had dropped, it opened but an inch, and the young man took a deep breath before entering.

Bellatrix herself was sat on the bed, her usually kept hair in complete disarray and her eyes vacant, gazing seemingly into nothing ahead of her. Her lips moved however, speaking silent words that none could hear.

Harry couldn't help but remember the Bellatrix of old that he had first met in the Ministry, her appearance now holding many similarities to what it once had been in his eyes, but it mattered not. His chest and stomach tightened within as he took her in, the girl that he had fallen in love with against all odds.

He took a seat on the bed next to her, not quite certain what it was he should do. Bellatrix immediately turned her attention to him, her eyes losing their cloudiness as she smiled brightly. She threw her arms around his neck and held him close.

"I knew I would find you," she whispered.

She pulled away suddenly and frowned.

"But you found me," she continued sadly, her frown deepening further.

She stood and began to pace back and forth, a myriad of emotions flittering across her features.

"Did I die too?" she questioned hopefully. "I don't remember dying".

Harry swallowed deeply before standing and taking her hands in his own, ceasing her movements.

"No, you didn't die Bella," he whispered hoarsely. "I didn't either".

Bellatrix narrowed her violet eyes at him as a look of fury made itself known. She pushed him away and glared at him, the look of insanity he associated with his first experiences of the woman now prevalent, both her hair and eyes wild.

"DO NOT LIE TO ME," she screeched furiously as she reached for a wand that was not there. "I WATCHED MY HARRY DIE, I WATCHED AS HE LEFT ME," she sobbed.

The young man stepped forward to comfort her, the only thing he felt he could do in this moment. The girl fought furiously and pushed him away with surprising strength.

"I'm right here, Bella," he tried, himself beginning to panic at her outburst.

She shook her head and cackled madly.

"DO NOT TRY TO TRICK ME. IF I'M NOT DEAD, THEN YOU ARE NOT MY HARRY," she screamed. "My Harry would never hurt me," she finished with a whisper.

Harry swallowed deeply once more as he attempted to take her hand, but Bellatrix pushed him away once more and continued to glare at him.

"I'm sorry," he attempted as he dragged a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean to hurt you or do this to you".

Bellatrix smiled sweetly and cupped his cheek in her hand, before striking him sharply, her countenance reverting back to rage as she stalked towards the door of the room.

"YOU CAN'T TRICK ME, YOU BASTARDS. I WILL BE BACK WITH MY HARRY AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME".

She once more took a seat on her bed and crossed her legs as she rose an eyebrow in Harry's direction.

"I want you to leave," she all but demanded. "I don't know who you are, but I want you gone. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TAKE MY HARRY'S PLACE?"

Harry sighed knowing that this was going to take some time. He hadn't expected the paranoia or unpredictable mood swings, though knew he should have.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he promised.

Bellatrix stood and leaned in close.

"Will you kill me? I just want to see my Harry again," she pleaded, everything about her exuding desperation.

Harry shook his head.

"No," he declined sadly. "But I will save you," he muttered as he exited the room, his thoughts focused on the young woman he was leaving behind.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he muttered to Arcturus as he passed him and exited via the floo.

Arcturus released a deep breath and nodded. He himself was furious with the boy, but he did not doubt that he would do all he could to help Bella.

(BREAK)

The emerald eyes of Lily Evans fluttered open and she found herself staring up at an overly white ceiling, wrapped in thick heavy blankets. She winced as pain lanced through her core from her attempt to sit up and grimaced immediately fell back to the pillows, her body beginning to tremble.

"Lily?" she heard a hoarse voice whisper.

It was then she became aware that her hand was enveloped by in another slightly larger than her own and she met the concerned hazel orbs of James Potter, though the concern gave way to relief as he leaned gently into her, muttering incoherently.

"James, what happened to me?" she questioned worriedly, the haze of her mind making almost no sense to herself.

The boy looked nothing short of guilty as he pulled away, his eyes now full of regret.

"You were attacked. You, Alice and Marlene".

Lily frowned as her final thoughts before she woke up here became lucid. She could remember the spell fire, the pain and watching her friends being felled by some of the spells that had been sent their way on the opening salvo.

"Are they okay?" she asked, panic beginning to set in.

James held her shoulders gently in an attempt to calm her, but he knew Lily would not relax until she knew.

"They were both hurt quite badly, but Alice is awake and with Frank".

Lily breathed a sigh of relief.

"And what about Marlene?"

James sighed and shook his head.

"She is still out of it and we won't know much until she wakes up. Speaking of which, I need to get the matron to check you over too".

With that, he stood and left offering her a weak smile as he made his way to the office of the woman in question.

She was not left alone with her thoughts for long. Only a moment later James arrived with the lady who immediately swooped upon her casting spell after spell in her direction.

"How are you feeling, Miss Evans?"

Lily swallowed and attempted to sit once more, again unable to as pain made itself known.

"My stomach," she ground out.

The nurse nodded her understanding and cast a few more spells before sighing.

"There is some internal damage, but it should repair itself in time," she explained as she handed the girl a pain relief potion. "Does anything else cause you discomfort?"

Lily shook her head before swallowing the contents of the vial.

The matron smiled.

"You are very lucky, Miss Evans. Take it easy for the next few days and come and see me for more potions if necessary," she instructed firmly before heading back to her office.

Lily nodded and offered the woman a grateful smile.

"Can you help me up, please?" she requested.

James nodded and held out an arm for the girl to pull herself gingerly to her feet. He steadied her as she staggered slightly and clung to him to keep her balance.

She headed towards the only other occupied bed in the room, noting a very pale Sirius sat by the bed clutching the hand of her still unconscious friend. He looked exhausted, as those he had not slept for days. The bags under his eyes and his unkempt hair seemingly not given a second thought as his attention was solely focused on prone form of Marlene.

"How is she?" Lily asked as the pair approached, snapping the boy from his thoughts.

His eyes widened briefly as he allowed a small amount of relief pass his features before his worried expression resumed.

"I don't know, but she's not cold anymore," he explained, clearly hopeful that was a good sign.

James helped the shaking Lily into a chair and conjured one for himself. They sat in companionable silence for a while until Alice and Frank arrived around an hour later, the former looking tired none the worse for wear.

"What happened?" Alice questioned her friend. "I remember walking down the corridor and then I woke up here".

"We were attacked," Lily sighed, more than a little angry at the situation. "I don't really remember anything else".

"It was Bellatrix that helped you," Sirius broke in. "She killed the Carrows and Rookwood. Rabastan and Travers are in St. Mungo's still".

"Bellatrix?" Alice questioned.

James nodded.

"I don't know what's happened to her though. According to mum, she's not coping well at all".

"I never thought I'd see the day," Sirius muttered as he shook his head.

He stood as he felt Marlene begin to stir within the sheets, he breath hitched in his throat as her eyes suddenly opened, a confused look overcoming her. He released a deep breath as a few tears of relief rolled down his cheeks as he marvelled at her consciousness.

"Thank Merlin," he sighed.

"What am I doing in the hospital wing?" she demanded, her voice broken from its lack of use.

The others filled her in quickly on what had transpired, leaving the girl angry and confused.

"Bastards," she growled.

She manged to sit and pull her messy locks away from her face before the matron came and subjected her to the same ministrations that Lily and Alice had endure prior to herself.

"It looks like we owe Bellatrix a life debt," she mused aloud.

James rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably and shook his head as he exhaled deeply, relieved that everyone was seemingly well, but now dreading the next thing that had to be confronted.

He sent off a Patronus as he turned his attention to the rest of the teens, not at all sure on how he should broach the subject.

"This is just the first thing," he sighed tiredly.

Sirius nodded his agreement.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked.

"Wait until Peter and Remus are here, they should be here for this".

Other than Sirius, the others were confused and slightly worried. It took a sizable thing to shake James, and whatever had happened, had done just that.

The two missing Marauders arrived only a few moments later. A red-eyed Peter had been quiet since Harry had been gone and Remus, not much better. They did however manage a genuine smile at seeing the girls awake and even greeted Frank warmly.

"What's going on?" Remus questioned, breaking the now slightly uncomfortable silence.

The bespectacled boy looked towards his first friend who merely shrugged and gestured for him to explain.

"It's about Harry," he finally voiced.

The mood instantly darkened as each of those in the room became sombre once more, the death of one of them still sitting very heavy upon them.

"What about him?" Remus broke in, his voice losing any sense of amiability it may have been holding.

James glanced at each of the assembled teens his head shaking, knowing that no matter how he revealed it, it would not be made any more acceptable or easier to digest.

"He's alive," he whispered, looking towards the floor.

"Excuse me?" Lily cut in angrily, her eyes alight and fiery as her temper surfaced.

"I don't know the details," James shrugged. "But he was here last night with my parents".

It was clear that a sense of shock had prevailed within the group, none being able to formulate a coherent sentence at the revelation.

"But, we saw him die," Remus eventually spoke, disbelief lacing his words.

James nodded.

"I thought so too, but apparently not," James responded.

Silence fell once more.

"I'm going to kill him," Lily hissed as she drew her wand and tried to stalk towards the doors of the hospital wing.

James took a firm grip of her arm and shook his head.

"I'm angry with him too, Lils, and I don't know if I can forgive him for this".

Lily deflated as her thoughts became occupied by the other boy, her son. Yesterday, she would have given almost anything to have him back, even for a small amount of time for some answers to all of the questions she had. All she felt now was anger. He had died, abandoned them even and he had never even given her the chance to know him, to know his life before he came here.

Peter was crying as Remus placed an arm around his shoulders, attempting to offer what comfort he could to the boy as he warred with his own emotions. The wolf was howling triumphantly, but he himself did not truly know what he should feel. He missed Harry and loved him as he would a brother, but he intentionally put himself in mortal danger and did not even consider telling them, let alone allowing them to go with him. He had trained them to fight as he does, and although they were not as powerful or skilled as him, they had the right to make such a decision themselves.

Frank was simply confused, he had not even been informed that Harry had died, though he had not been to the school since the night of the fight and had heard nothing from Alice as he had been hard at work at the Auror academy. He shook his head as he took in the mood around him, confused as to why almost all of the teens were angry, but he also understood.

He himself had been with Harry when he fought, and he still felt guilty that he allowed it to go ahead without any of the others present, both friends and family of the other boy. Not that he had much of a choice in the matter.

Alice and Marlene said nothing. Both had been grieving for Harry in their own way, and now it felt as though it had been for nothing. They missed him dreadfully and knew he wouldn't have done what he did without reason. That did not mean they did not expect an explanation of sorts when he did resurface, whenever that may be.

The wait for this was much shorter than any of them could have anticipated as the boy in question entered the room as they were all lost in their own thoughts.

"You, selfish bastard," Lily sobbed, as she laid eyes on him.

She was clearly furious, but her eyes betrayed the relief she felt knowing that he was still amongst them. The tears flowed freely as she took him and held him to her. Internally, she wanted to hit him with every unpleasant hex and curse she knew, but in this moment, she could only hold him close and take in his warmth and scent.

"I am sorry," Harry mumbled as he returned the embrace with equal vigour. "To all of you," he added as he looked over the shoulder of the redhead and took in the other occupants of the room.

"How could you do that to us, Harry?" Sirius replied, the hurt in his voice clear.

Harry nodded sadly as his guilt flowed through him.

"You all deserve an explanation, and to understand why I did what I did," he agreed without prompt. "I know you're all mad at me, and I am sorry," he tried once more.

"You will be," Lily vowed, her conflicting feelings arising, a sense of nervousness beginning to seep in.

"Are you all well enough to meet me on the seventh floor in an hour?" he asked hopefully.

"We'll be there," Lily answered for the group. "You better have a good explanation, Harry Potter," she added severely.

Harry could only nod before he exited the room.

James, Lily, Marlene and Sirius decided that a shower was in order and the other four decided on a trip to the kitchens. They arrived on the seventh floor once their ablutions were complete to find a very nervous Harry waiting for them.

He led them into the room that he had prepared where a large pensieve stood tall in the very centre and he gestured to it as he sighed deeply.

"You all deserve to know the truth," he began, sounding much more confident than he felt.

He proceeded to remove several vials from his pockets, each labelled to whom the memories pertained to and handed them out accordingly.

"Some of them you will see have been tampered with because I don't want to reveal certain things," he explained with a smile.

He had no desire to reveal Neville to his parents nor anything else that was not necessary to show. He had decided to show just enough to make them understand. He certainly had no desire to ruin what could come for any of his friends unnecessarily.

"I'm sorry," he added to Marlene. "I didn't know of you from my time, so I can only assume things didn't go well for you. But I want you to share the memories I gave Sirius if you don't mind. It will go a long way to explaining how all of this happened".

Marlene had become suddenly pale at the implications that she had not survived but nodded nonetheless.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" James questioned, expecting that much that was being offered would be unpleasant.

Harry nodded.

"Some of you won't like what you see at all, but please remember that I won't allow any of this to happen to any of you again. The reason I did what I did will become clear once you've seen what's inside them," he explained as he gestured to what the others now held.

"It will take a lot of time to go through this, so I will be back in a few days and I will answer any questions you have," he promised as he exited the room, not wanting to either relive certain parts of his life, nor intrude on the group as they witnessed it themselves.

"I guess we should just, go in," Alice broke in uncertainly, not at all sure if they should. Memories were very personal things after all. Harry was essentially baring his soul to them.

"He wouldn't have allowed this if he didn't think we should see it," Sirius reasoned.

James nodded his agreement.

"Who wants to see theirs first?" he asked.

Peter stepped forward and swallowed nervously.

"I will".

(BREAK)

Bellatrix Black woke, her thoughts more lucid than they had been for as long she could remember, however, the lucidity brought little more than confusion. She recognised her surroundings, she was of course in her own bedroom at home, but that wasn't possible, she was supposed to be in Hogwarts.

She frowned as she attempted to piece together how she came to be here, memories from the past days flooding her senses causing her to shake her head. The memories themselves were clear, but it was as though she was viewing them through a smoky veil and had through the eyes of another.

She quickly realised these were her own happenings, she just could not comprehend the choices she had made and certainly did not remember pondering such actions.

She sighed slightly as she sat up, the deep longing of loss she had become accustomed to making itself known once more.

She missed him, missed him to the point that it caused her physical pain beyond what she thought she could endure.

For a wonderful moment, she thought that she had found him as she vowed she would, believed that he had been in this very room with her the previous night.

She shook her head at the impossibility as the tightness in her chest constricted further and tears of mourning escaped.

She knew it was not possible, that she must have dreamt it and her reasoning for this was certain. Firstly, Harry would not leave her again if it had been real, not her Harry. And secondly, Harry was dead. There was no escaping such a thing when it had come for you.

She laid back down and sought comfort in her duvet as his scent washed over her, stronger than should be possible.

She was confused more so by this but took the blessing for what it was. Anything of Harry, she would take until she could be with him again, though there was a painful longing the scent brought along with the lingering essence.

It mattered not however. She had suffered much, and this was but a reminder that he was gone and would not return to her whilst she remained here.

Her thoughts were pulled from the boy by a gentle tapping on the door and she buried deeper into the duvet as her parents entered and took a seat on her bed.

"Bella?" the gentle voice of her Mother broke the silence as she attempted to rouse her.

It was a softness that Bellatrix had little experience of. Her Mother had always been much more maternal than her father had been paternal, but it was not a regular showing. The apprehension in her voice however showed genuine concern and worry unlike anything Bellatrix had heard from the woman previously throughout her life.

"How are you?"

Her voice was now more nervous, the expectation of a frenzied outburst evident by the way she spoke. Still, this did not prevent the woman from stroking her daughters back as comfortingly as she could manage.

Bellatrix sighed and sit up, no longer able to fight the tears as another wave of Harry's scent hit her like a punch to the stomach.

"It hurts, mum," she sobbed as she allowed herself to be pulled into the waiting arms of her mother.

Druella could only hold the girl as she shushed her gently, unable to do anything else for her middle child. She looked almost pleading towards her husband for help and was met by a foreign look in his eyes; a look of emotional pain as he too basked in the grief of one of his girls.

"It's like he's still here. I can smell him on me and on my bed," she whispered painfully.

Pollux swallowed deeply as he placed a hand on her shoulder, ready for the inevitable tirade that was coming.

"He is, Princess," he offered with an apologetic smile.

Bellatrix frowned at the pet name the man hadn't used in over a decade and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Do not try to trick me, Father," she hissed angrily as she stood, her eyes and hair both uncontrolled.

"Bellatrix," he chastised sternly. "I may be a cruel man in many ways, but I would not be so cruel to you. Harry is alive and was here with you last night".

The younger woman's bottom lip trembled as her mind once more became hazy, hasting to retreat from any further emotional turmoil. She couldn't handle any more of that.

She could hear her Father calling her name, louder the more unresponsive she became, but she could not escape the fog, she didn't want to escape the fog. She felt herself falling, only to be caught in the arms of the man trying to keep her in the room with them. His face, full of concern, swam in and out of focus as words she could no longer comprehend were spoke around her, merely a mumbled mess in her mind.

Once more, she was drowning. She no longer knew where she was, and for that fact, she didn't care. Here she felt nothing. In the deepest recess of her mind, she didn't have to face the pain that awaited her out there.

She smiled as the face of Harry swam in front of her, his words too little more than white noise around her. But he was here with her and that's all that mattered. Just to see him, feel his arms wrapped around her was all she needed to be content with where she found herself.

"Come and join me, Harry," she begged, her eyes full of a warmth and desire reserved for him only.

She frowned as he shook his head, denying her wishes.

"Come to me, Bella," he pleaded.

She didn't like the way his eyes met her own with such sadness and in such a broken state. She sobbed as she felt a stab of the pain she had become accustomed to from being out there.

Her pain quickly turned to fury.

This was her safe place. A place where she did not have to feel the loss of her love. A place where she could escape all that plagued her, all that would take her happiness away.

She struck out at what brought this pain, at what had tainted her sanctuary.

She giggled as she felt her hand connect sharply with the boys' face, hoping that it would make him leave and allow her to reside in her own ignorance once more.

He angered her further by shrugging her attack off as though it were nothing and looking in her eyes the same way he had been prior to the slap.

"Come to me, Bella?" he asked, his voice as gentle and calming as she remembered.

She shook her head.

"It hurts up there, Harry," she choked. "It wasn't supposed to hurt when I saw you".

She felt his hands tighten around her own.

"Then I will make it better, I promise".

She shook her head again as the haze started to clear. She tried to cling desperately to the final vestiges of it, only to find herself back where she had fought so desperately to escape from. His scent once again assaulted her senses and she fought against the arms holding her furiously, her anger palpable as it flourished from the pain she no longer wished to face.

Despite her protests, the haze thinned, his voice became clearer, and her the arms she was in more prominent as she felt her own weight supported by them entirely.

She could only weep as her retreat was left behind, and she was dragged back against her will into where she had left her pain behind. Her eyes met the green of her lost love and she shook her head.

He had died. He had left her. There was no way that this was real. She began questioning her already frayed sanity, not able to discern any longer what was real. The pain, she knew, was undoubtedly so, but the boy now embracing her, it could not be. He had died, and he had left her. How could it be that she now found herself in his arms though continued to breathe?

The eyes in which she found herself drawn spoke of much; sorrow and regret most prominently. But there was a determination within them also, and truth. Nothing but truth as they had always shown her.

"Harry?" She whispered, not daring to hope the truth could be just that.

Her reply was a familiar, yet gentle smile, the one that had been reserved only for her.

He nodded as a tear broke free, relief evident in the emerald pools.

"But it can't be," she protested weakly in an attempt to sustain what remained of her lucidity.

As much as she wished and hoped for this, it was not what she had been fixated on since he had left, and her eyes conveyed this to him. Instead of disappointment, she found understanding and acceptance, the unspoken agreement that he would feel the same were the roles reversed.

She felt the intrusion into her mind, a gentle caress across her conscious as his eyes bore deeper into her own. Instinctively, as she had been taught, she attempted raise her shields only to find they no longer existed, seemingly destroyed by the madness that had plagued her.

She gasped in surprise as his familiar magic settled into her, the gentle caress becoming more of a warming embrace within her mind. Instead of prodding and searching for her memories, she was flooded by a series of his own, all pertaining to them from the moment they had first spoken to the day they had spent together before he had left.

She wept further as his emotions were made known to her via the connection, each shared moment eliciting a maelstrom of thoughts and feelings.

She experienced his initial distrust and dislike the first time they studied together and his amusement as they traded barbs and jibes. She felt the confliction as he realised he began to see her for who she truly was and the warmth he began to feel for her as they grew closer the more they were around each other. His nervousness before the ball was a surprise to her, but the euphoria of their first kiss buried it immediately.

She sobbed when his pain surfaced during their time of separation and her heart skipped as she relived the evening they shared when he had opened up to her.

It was then that the warmth became stronger and stronger with each passing moment as a series of memories flashed in front of her, consisting mostly of inane day to day things; How he felt when she would simply hold his hand or when he held her in his arms, but mostly, the love he felt when their eyes met.

It enveloped her, and she knew without doubt that he was in love with her completely. He had never attempted to put his feelings into words much, but a feeling such as this did not need them.

A slight emptiness overcame her as she felt him leave her mind, but the warmth remained.

"I love you, Bellatrix Black," he whispered.

She clung to him, held him as though he may just disappear once more and leave her behind, something she could not face.

"But I'm broken, Harry," she whispered sadly.

He gently pushed her away so that he could look in to her eyes and let out a deep breath before pulling her back into his chest.

"Then we will fix you," he declared gently. "Whatever it takes".

Bellatrix swallowed deeply as she nodded. She didn't doubt he would do all he could, she just didn't have much faith in herself.

She smiled however as she breathed in his scent. If anyone could put her back together, it was the man that held her so dearly in this moment.

(BREAK)

Peter entered the pensieve, only to find himself in the same room that he had seemingly just left. The lacking presence of the rest of the group was the only indicator that he had used the device correctly, that and the fact that Harry was here, sat on a chair, his chin resting on his hands.

"Wormy, you're not going to like what you see, but I wanted to be completely honest with you," he spoke seriously.

Peter could not help but notice the exhaustion prevalent in his eyes. It was though he had not slept for weeks, and his hair appeared to be much more dishevelled than usual.

The Harry in the memory stood and began to pace back and forth, attempting to formulate his next words.

"Things did not work out for you as I'm sure you would want. I don't know exactly what happened, but you ended up on the wrong side during the war. You betrayed them Peter," he explained sadly. "I wish that your story was different, because I have grown to care for you just as much as I do the others, something I never would have believed to be possible before I came".

Peter frowned deeply at the revelation and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

Harry snorted before continuing.

"I don't know if it was just because you never felt good enough or that you wanted to prove your worth to someone in some way, but you joined them, Peter. You sold out your friends to Voldemort, and partly because of you, I lived a very miserable life".

Peter felt a sense of panic settle within in him. He knew for a fact that he would never join the Dark Lord. He would sooner die than follow that lunatic.

"I know it is hard for you to believe, Wormy, but it is true. And I know if you look deep enough inside yourself, you will be able to admit that, before I came, it was a possibility".

Peter shook his head as a tear broke free and rolled down his cheek. As much as he despised himself or it, he couldn't deny the words of the other boy. He had never felt worthy of his friends and his doubts after talking with Augustus had shown that.

"I'm sorry, Harry," he whispered sadly.

"You're not that same boy, Peter," Harry consoled unconsciously. "I truly find it difficult to remember what is was you did become before because you have proven yourself to me time and time again".

Peter managed to smile, though he couldn't completely eradicate the guilt within him.

"These memories will not be pleasant for you, but just remember who it is you are now. I promise you, I will not let the same thing happen and I know that you won't either. You are the only one that will see these memories. I think this should be something kept between the two of us, but please know, I am here for you if you want to talk about it any time".

A nervousness settled over Peter as the room began to spin and he quickly found himself in the shrieking shack with who appeared to be a very emaciated and older looking Sirius and an even more haggard Remus. There were three others in the room with them; a young bushy-haired girl with overly long teeth, a gangly redheaded boy that was nursing a mangled leg and a smaller, skinny little boy that could only be Harry.

Peter frowned at how thin and small the boy was. It was clear that he was not well cared for, and the state of him incensed the rat Animagus.

What he saw next had him flinching in shame as he watched Sirius and Remus chase a very familiar rat around the room and force it out of its animal state. Seeing what he had become disgusted him.

He watched as an older, more rodent-like version of himself snivelled and begged for mercy and even found himself hoping that Sirius and Remus were successful in killing him.

He shook his head as Snape appeared and laughed heartily as he was knocked unconscious by the three teens as he attempted to apprehend Sirius.

He found himself recoiling in horror as Remus transformed and hissed in anger as he watched himself escape in the commotion.

He shook his head in disappointment as it appeared that Sirius would be given the Dementor's kiss for a crime that he did not commit and stood in complete awe as he watched Harry defend himself and his Godfather from the horde of the foul beasts.

"Amazing," he whispered.

Peter himself would be the first to admit, that when it came to practical magic, he was average at best. So, watching what many would deem a weak looking 13-year-old boy produce such an incredible spell, was nothing short of his chosen word.

He was completely lost for words at what it was he had witnessed, and though he felt immensely proud and relieved that Harry had survived, he could not prevent the shame that overcame him, and with that shame, came a fresh wave of worthlessness.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the voice of Harry addressing him once more, the memory apparently having just ended and he found himself once more with the other boy.

"I know that you must be feeling quite shit about now, Wormy, but please don't. Regardless of anything that you have seen and will see, I want you to know, I forgive you".

Harry chuckled and shook his head.

"You're probably wondering why, but I just do. Everything that happened to me, made me who I am, the good and the bad. I'm not going to pretend that I didn't hate you and even dream about killing you in the most horrific way, but you are not that person Peter. Just remember that".

Before Peter could comprehend the words spoken to him, he found himself in a very unfamiliar place; a graveyard. He frowned as he took in his surroundings and balked as he spotted a slightly older Harry bound to a tombstone. His attention was pulled from the young teen however as he heard his own voice, though it was more than a little nasally.

He watched in horror as he took part in a ritual that somehow raised the Dark Lord from the dead, fighting the urge to vomit at his own action of sacrificing his hand for the man.

He shook his head violently and growled furiously. He would never allow Harry, nor any other child to find themselves in such a situation.

He again found himself dumbfounded at the bravery and power that Harry exhibited during his confrontation with the Dark wizard, despite the odds being heavily against him. He cursed in rage as he watched the Dark Lord cowardly attack the boy before allowing him his wand and cheered in jubilation as the boy again managed to escape the clutches of certain death.

The moment Harry disappeared, Peter appeared in the Room of Requirement once more, the chair occupied as expected by the Harry he knew.

"I didn't show you this for any other reason than the fact that you deserved to know the truth and to help prevent anything like this happening again. I'm not even angry anymore that things happened the way they did, only saddened by what happened to you, Peter. I love you, Peter. Please don't forget that".

Peter managed a small smile at the declaration and nodded firmly.

"I want you to leave here with you head held high and to feel proud of who you are, I wouldn't have you any other way. Don't let me down, my friend," Harry finished with a warm smile.

Peter shook his head amusedly as he felt himself pulled from the pensieve, not at all happy nor proud of what he had seen but determined to not become what it was he had witnessed.

As requested he held his head eye and stood as tall as his small frame would allow. Guilt prevailed throughout him, but he merely shook his head at the others. He certainly did not want to share his experience and he certainly would not allow it to define him.

"I guess we'll go next," Frank announced worriedly as he led Alice towards the pensieve, nervous at the demeanour that Peter seemed to have adopted from his own experiences.

(BREAK)

Similarly, to Peter, the duo found themselves transported into the very room they left, both surprised to find Harry sat in a chair in the centre, the others absent.

"Before I show the one memory I can of you both, I need to fill you in on what happened that led up to the moment," Harry began tiredly. "You both know that James and Lily are my mother and father by now, but none of you really know how all of this happened," he sighed as he shrugged. "I don't know all of the facts, but I do know that the war was not going well for us. Voldemort was tearing through the country and gaining more followers and there was no one that could stop him. People went into hiding for their own protection including James, Lily and the two of you".

Frank nodded his understanding. It sounded like something he would do if necessary. He frowned as he noted the now warring emotions on the other boys' face.

"There are so many memories I wish I could show you, but it would only put your future in danger," Harry whispered sadly.

Alice took Frank's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, both silently agreeing that they did not want to know anything that could jeopardise their life together.

Harry shook his head as he paced back and forth before speaking once more.

"Voldemort attacked James and Lily," he announced darkly. "Both were killed and I somehow managed to survive, vanquishing the Dark Lord," he added bitterly. "Whilst the world celebrated, I was left to my muggle relatives to be raised and people came out of hiding believing that the war was over".

He dragged a hand through his hair.

"They didn't take into account that his followers were still out there, some willing to do all they could to bring back their master," he continued, almost disappointedly.

He ceased his pacing and stared through the pair.

"It was five days after Voldemort vanished that they came for you both. You weren't killed, but you experienced a fate worse than death. You were tortured by four of his followers, and the result, is what you will see next".

Frank and Alice shared a confused, yet apprehensive look at the grave tone Harry used.

"This memory has been tampered with. I couldn't show you without doing it," he explained apologetically.

The room began to spin, and the duo quickly found themselves surrounded by a dense white fog, muffled voices audible from within. In front of them they could see a much younger Harry, a look of shock adorning his features as he looked upon what could only be described as two exceedingly emaciated people, young in the eyes, but their physical appearance betraying that youth. It took a moment for them to realise that they were looking upon themselves, though unhealthy and clearly mentally incapacitated.

Alice held her hand to her mouth in shock and in an effort to prevent herself from throwing up as Franks grip around her hand tightened painfully as his eyes bulged.

The two people in front of them were little more than a shadow of the vibrant people they were. Both were horrifically thin, their hair grey and eyes almost void of any life. They could see nothing but a shell of themselves lingering in what remained, and what remained was very little.

Before they could even begin to compose themselves, the room spun once more, and they were once again stood in front of Harry who smiled weakly in their direction.

"This is why I am so protective of you. I don't want you to experience the same fate".

Frank nodded his understanding very stiffly as he pulled his now sobbing girlfriend to his side.

"This is the only memory I have of you and I'm sorry it wasn't pleasant. I will do whatever I have to, to ensure that your life is different this time around, even if that means going against your wishes to keep you safe".

Frank sighed and snorted slightly. He had no doubt that Harry would do as he said and the affection he felt for the boy soared within his chest, warming him to his core. He didn't always agree with him, but he understood why he did the things he do. It didn't make him any less annoyed with the boy but understanding made all of the difference to him.

It was a mere moment later that he found himself back with the others, each looking on questioningly. He shook his head, not willing to share what it was he had seen within the pensieve along with a very subdued Alice.

"I'm next," Remus declared as he strode towards the basin, the grip around his phial of memories tight enough to whiten his knuckles. Without preamble, he emptied its contents and submerged himself in the cloudy swirl of what it was one of his closest friends wished to share with him.

(BREAK)

"Hello, Remus," Harry greeted the werewolf with a warm smile.

Remus returned the smile nervously and waited for what was to come, his palms sweaty. If the demeanour of the others that had made the trip was anything to go by, then he knew it was unlikely to be pleasant experience.

"Life was not particularly kind to you Remus, and I never quite understood how you became what you were and how you were until I met you here," Harry began thoughtfully. "I knew you cared for James, Lily, Sirius and Peter, there was never any doubt of that. I just never knew how much you relied on then for your happiness and security. I'm sorry for that, Remus. I once thought that you were a coward for fleeing once they were either dead or just not around and I was bitter that you never came for me," he finished sadly.

Remus frowned, not at all understanding what was being said. He however waited patiently for Harry to continue.

A moment of contemplation fell between them until Harry spoke up once more.

"After James and Lily died and Sirius wasn't around, you just disappeared, and to this day, I don't know where you went. I can only guess that you couldn't cope with being here anymore, and I understand that now, more than ever".

Remus swallowed deeply and nodded. He could imagine leaving being the first thing he did if anything were to happen to his friends.

"I didn't meet you until I was thirteen, just as it was with Sirius," Harry began again, a warm smile gracing his features. "I want to share those memories with you. They're not overly nice, but necessary".

The room disappeared, and Remus found himself on the Hogwarts express, in a carriage with a younger and meek looking Harry who was joined by a bushy-haired brunette and a gangly redhead. It was when he looked at the prone, sleeping form on the opposite seat to the teens that his heart sunk. It was unusual in itself to see an adult on the train, but one so shabbily dressed was unheard of.

"R J Lupin," he muttered as he read the name embossed on the battered suitcase.

He shook his head sadly as he took in the appearance of his older self. His hair was grey, eyes wrinkled, and a myriad of scars littered his face and hands. Life really had not treated him well if this was anything to go by. He was pulled from his musings as the train jerked to a halt and the lights flickered out, leaving the occupants of the room in total darkness.

He could only look on in horror as Dementors entered the train and began searching it, not paying heed to the effect they were having on the children. Things took a turn for the worse when one of the beasts entered the compartment he was sharing with Harry and his friends. Almost immediately, Harry fainted and began convulsing, muttering incoherently as he did so causing his older self to wake and banish the Azkaban guard with his patronus.

He watched as he managed to rouse Harry and administer some chocolate to the shaken children, clearly unhappy with what had happened. His older self soon exited the carriage under the guise of talking to the driver. Remus knew differently however.

He was furious and was struggling to keep the wolf at bay.

Only a second or two passed before he found himself facing the older Harry once more, sat in a simple wooden chair.

"I told you when we first met on the train that I learnt some of my most powerful magic from a werewolf and that was you, Remus. You were my Defence teacher that year, and you taught me how to cast a patronus. Without you, I wouldn't be here today".

"And you taught me, Harry," Remus returned with a grin.

"There's little else that I can show you that truly matters," Harry shrugged. "You were there for me just as much as Sirius, and although we never really got close, you helped me more than I could ever thank you for. You were a good man Remus, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure your life is better than what you saw".

Remus smiled as he felt himself pulled from the pensieve. He was displeased with whatever had happened to him, but he had no doubt that it would not happen this time around, neither he, nor Harry would allow it.

"Us next?" Sirius questioned when it was made clear that the werewolf would not share anything he had seen.

Marlene gripped his hand and pulled him towards the stone basin, a worried frown tightening her delicate features.

The two shared a nod before following the others before them and entering the strange device.

(BREAK)

As with Frank, Alice, Peter and Remus, the pair found themselves facing a seated Harry seemingly awaiting their arrival. They waited for the memories to begin but were unsurprised to find the boy addressing them from his chair.

"This one was difficult," he muttered. "I once told you that you were closest thing I had to a father before coming here, and that is true. We didn't actually meet until I was thirteen years old and I didn't even know who you were until the end of my second year of Hogwarts".

Sirius frowned deeply, wondering what could have come to pass for Harry to not know who he was until such an age.

"You were framed for betraying my parents, who were hidden by the Fidelius Charm, and I believed that you were guilty until you proved your innocence".

Sirius growled angrily knowing that there was nothing on this plane that could cause him to do such a thing. Marlene stroked the back of his hand with her thumb in an attempt to calm him.

"I feel stupid for ever believing that you would ever do what you were accused of, but I didn't know you and everyone believed that you were their secret keeper".

He stood from his chair and shook his head before continuing.

"You escaped from Azkaban when you realised that the person who did betray my parents was too close to me for your liking and our paths crossed less than a year later. Who it was is no longer important, but meeting you was the happiest day of my life. I was nothing more than a meek little boy who you barely knew and still, you offered me a home with you as soon as we could clear your name".

Sirius's smile was as watery as the emerald eyes gazing towards him as he took in the words of the other boy, a vulnerability evident he never imagined could exist within them.

"It didn't happen that way," he sighed sadly. "The person escaped and the Minister at the time decided you were to be kissed immediately, but myself and a good friend of mine had other ideas".

The room faded, and the couple found themselves by the Hogwarts' lake at night time, something the pair did often, but this was different. It was darker than either had ever seen it, the full moon usually bright on the grounds was faded, almost obscured by the darkness surrounding them. Their attention was caught by a feeble moaning and they turned to see two others with them. One was clearly a younger Harry, his eyes bright as he clung to an unconscious figure on the ground whose visage was pale, haunted even.

"That's me," Sirius declared in disbelief.

His eyebrows rose as the sound of cloaks swishing in the wind interrupted his examination of himself and he drew his wand instinctively.

"Dementors," Marlene whispered harshly as she gestured above them, her hand shaking uncontrollably.

It took a moment for Sirius to remember that he was only in a memory as he began preparing to cast his patronus, only to stop himself as the reality of the situation set in and the coldness the creatures brought was noticeably absent. He began looking around frantically as the cloaked figures drew nearer to himself and Harry, desperately seeking someone to save them from the inevitable receiving end of the kiss.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM,"_ a voice shouted.

Before the need to shield their eyes from the brightness of the spell took hold, both caught a glimpse of a figure on the opposite bank of the lake. Emerald eyes glowed as the boy's hair was rippled by his own magic as it fed the spell. Brighter and brighter it grew until it was impossible to keep their eyes open.

"Unbelievable," Sirius whispered as he watched the slowly fading patronus return to its caster, the majestic stag nuzzling the boy who produced it before it dissipated completely.

"How?" he asked in confusion, his gaze shifting between the two Harrys'.

"Time-turner maybe," Marlene shrugged.

Sirius shook his head as he continued watching Harry on the other side of the lake, wondering how one so young could produce such magic. His reverie was interrupted however as Marlene pulled on his sleeve to garner his attention.

"Is that Snape?" she questioned.

Sirius turned and frowned at the sight of an older Severus Snape trussing him up and levitating him and an unconscious Harry towards the school.

"Nice to see he's a greasy git everywhere," he muttered as the man disappeared from view.

They had little time to ponder the enigma that was one of their childhood nemesis' as the lake disappeared from view and they found themselves on the Astronomy Tower, both looking at each other questioningly.

"There," Marlene exclaimed as she pointed to the sky.

"Is Harry riding a hippogriff?" Sirius asked dumbly, his mouth agape as he became aware of the beast hurtling towards the castle with two passengers astride.

Marlene shook her head in amusement.

"Don't be getting any ideas Sirius Black," she warned in good humour.

Sirius pouted slightly and watched as the massive creature disappeared only to appear a few moments later and heading towards them. He took a step back as it landed and deposited two of the occupants leaving his older self on its back. He watched the conversation between the two with fondest, the care for the boy shining brightly in his eyes.

He watched in sadness as he was ordered to leave to save himself and as Harry watched his departure with a mixture of relief and heartbreak. He managed a smile as he saw the girl comfort him and lead him away hurriedly, clearly having somewhere else they needed to be.

"He was a damn brave thirteen-year-old," he whispered.

"He's not any different now," Marlene pointed out as she rubbed his back comfortingly. "He did all he could to protect you then and he still does it".

Sirius swallowed deeply and nodded as he was overcome with guilt. He hadn't ever considered why Harry was the way he turned out to be. If what he now knew and what he was seeing was true, he had never had anyone to care for him as he should have, and now that he did, he would protect them with his life if necessary.

They again found themselves facing Harry as he sat in his chair, both lost in thought from the memory they had witnessed.

"I only saw you twice in the next year, once at Hogsmeade and once after Voldemort came back," he explained. "You were still on the run and had moved into Grimmauld Place where the ministry couldn't get you and I had to go back to my relatives".

Sirius frowned at the distaste in Harry's tone. He strongly suspected that he did not like the people he stayed with at all.

"Anyway, there were some good times with you. We got to spend some of the summer together before my fifth year and you told me about my parents and was just there for me when I needed you. You even gave me an enchanted mirror, so we could stay in touch," he added with a genuine smile.

Sirius found himself smiling too at the sincerity he could see in his eyes.

"But it didn't last," Harry broke in once more, his expression darkening considerably. "At the end of my fifth year, I was tricked. Voldemort made me believe he had you. It was partly my naivety that got you killed," he choked.

The room faded once more and the two were dropped in the middle of a heated battle, the faces of those involved blurred beyond recognition, though some of the voices were familiar. The pair watched the chaos unfold as people in silver masks and those without fought ferociously against one another, several bodies already littering the floor. Dead or unconscious, it was impossible to tell, but the Hogwarts uniforms adorning some of the fallen did nothing but add to the severity of the situation.

"What the hell is going on?" Marlene questioned as she ducked a jet of blue light.

"I don't know, but there's Harry," Sirius replied as he spotted the slightly older looking boy with another he couldn't quite make out.

He watched as he stunned one of the Death Eaters and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors around what seemed to be an atrium burst open and another swarm of people entered and began engaging the Death Eaters.

"Thank Merlin," Marlene exclaimed as the tide of the battle began to turn.

Sirius looked on as he spotted his older self dispose of a couple of the Death Eaters as he made his way to Harry, the boy holding his own quite well against his foe. He found himself frowning however as the other Sirius began goading his opponent, even though it was clear that he was outmatched. His wand work was sloppy and movements stiff, yet he reeked of confidence, something the younger man shook his head at. This Sirius was not half the duellist that he was and knew that he would never be so cocky, not now at least.

Still, the horror he felt as he saw a jet of red light impact against his chest was very real and he was certain there would be some grievous wound when the body would appear on the other side of the stone archway the limp body passed through.

This was not to be however. His body simply vanished, and he frowned at such a feat. Bodies did not just vanish without a trace, there was no spell he knew of that could do such a thing. His awareness returned to the room as he witnessed Harry screaming his name, begging the person holding him to release him so that he could follow.

The moment the loss of the man registered in the teen's eyes, Sirius felt his heart break and his blood ran cold as whatever vestiges of innocence remained there, faded into the fury that now filled them.

"NOO," he screamed as Harry broke free and began chasing his killer, his eyes glowing with desire for vengeance.

Sirius began to chase the boy, but the room spun, and he found himself in the room they had begun their journey with the Harry he knew present in his chair.

"That night was the worst night of my life and the first time I used an unforgivable curse," he said softly. "The one person I needed was taken from me and it changed me. I wanted my revenge and I wanted more than anything to be good enough to have it, no matter the cost".

He stood and dragged a hand through his hair.

"This was only a few months before I arrived here, and in those few months, I got the help I needed to achieve what I needed to before being sent here. I didn't choose this, but now, I wouldn't have it any other way. Not only did I get my chance to save you and my parents, but some other people on the way".

Sirius nodded and smiled sadly. At no point had he considered that Harry's life has been plagued by loss and suffering, hidden beneath a mask of charisma and confidence that most would associate with him.

"I'm sorry," he offered with a weak smile. "All I want is to protect you all. I've lost you once, and I can't do that again".

Marlene took hold of Sirius' hand and pulled him closer in an effort to comfort him as they were pulled from the pensieve having witnessed what it was that Harry wanted them to see.

"Are you okay, Padfoot?" James asked worriedly as the duo appeared.

Sirius nodded and swallowed deeply but said nothing.

"I suppose that we should go?" James questioned Lily, who could only nod nervously as she was led to the pensieve, not at all certain on what awaited her within.

(BREAK)

The pair arrived in what Lily quickly recognised as a muggle living room, a pristinely clean, living room. The walls were painted magnolia, unblemished and adorned with photos of three individuals. Lily frowned at the familiarity of two of them. It was not difficult to recognise her own sister and her husband, though both were much older, the man now very rotund while Petunia had barely changed. The blonde boy in the pictures was not familiar however and took after the man down to the blonde hair and piggish appearance. The two were pulled from their observations of their surroundings by the voice of Harry who was sat in an armchair, the springs of which seemed to have collapsed long ago.

"I don't even know where to begin," the boy muttered quietly. It seems strange to introduce myself, but it seems a good place to begin," he decided aloud.

He sighed as he dragged a hand through his hair, conflicting emotions making themselves known in his eyes.

"My name is Harry James Potter, I was born July 31st, 1980 to James and Lily Potter," he began with a shake of his head. "Well, that is what I have been told. I don't know if Harry is short for anything and I don't even know if you have middle names," he shrugged. "The first 18 months of my life I lived with the two of you in Godric's Hollow, a place I have not been since Halloween 1981 when everything changed. I do have one memory of this place and it is the worst memory I have, one that I became aware of when I was thirteen and had the pleasure of meeting the Azkaban guards for the first time. I wasn't going to show you this, but I didn't want to keep anything from you. I need you to understand why I am the way I am".

James and Lily shared a worried look as the room faded, and they found themselves in a child's nursery.

" _Lily, it's him. Quick, take Harry and run. I'll hold him off"._

"Is that me?" James asked worriedly.

Lily nodded, a dark expression forming on her now pale face.

There was a short commotion as Lily entered the room and attempted to barricade the door, only to see it blasted open a moment later and a dark robed figure entering.

" _Please, not Harry. Please, kill me"._

Lily held a hand over her mouth as she heard her own voice pleading for the life of the infant and James could only look on as bright flash of green light engulfed the redhead, followed by maniacal laughter as the man stepped over her still warm corpse to dispose of the baby.

"No," he whispered as he covered his ears, though the next flash of green light and screams could not be completely shut out.

He gritted his teeth as a few tears broke free, appalled and heartbroken that Harry remembered this and that it happened at all.

He peered through the slightest of openings of his eyes and found, much to his relief, that the memory was over, and they were once again in the living room they arrived in. He pulled on Lily's sleeve to get her attention as she too had covered her ears and closed her eyes at what they had witnessed.

"He remembers that," she whispered in horror, her eyes red from crying.

James swallowed deeply and nodded, not trusting his voice.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Harry spoke from his chair with sincerity. "I didn't show you out of cruelty or bitterness, I just want you to understand everything".

The other two teens were trembling and having second thoughts about seeing anything else that Harry may have prepared for them. James took Lily's hand tightly and nodded reassuringly, though it was clear he was just as apprehensive.

"That night is where everything changed and even went wrong," Harry continued. "That was Voldemort coming for me because of a prophecy, and the two of you died because of it," he explained sadly, though his eyes were alight with anger.

Lily could only shake her head at the reasoning for the attack. She certainly was not a believer in such an obscure and mostly unsubstantiated branch of magic but knew there was those that did believe.

"The very same night, I was brought to live here under the tender care of Vernon and Petunia Dursley," Harry began again, his voice laced with bitterness. "I wish that I could say I was cared for and wanted for nothing, but that would be a lie. I was treated worse than the lowliest house-elf, used as a personal punch bag, starved and locked in that cupboard where I lived until I was eleven-years-old. I don't know why, I don't remember ever doing anything to cause such hate, but that's the way it was. I didn't even know my name until my first day of school. They would only refer to me as 'freak', and still did until the day I left".

Lily shook her head in denial. Herself and her sister had their differences, mostly because Lily was a witch and was allowed to attend Hogwarts, but she could not envision any life in which Petunia would treat a baby that way, let alone family.

"I can imagine that you would have a hard time believing that," Harry sighed. "Just watch and you will see. I am more than willing to swear that all of these memories are the truth".

Lily held her chest as she watched a young Harry forced to cook, clean and do chores that no child should be forced to and recoiled in horror as she bore witness to the treatment he received by her sister. She gasped and shed further tears as Vernon took a belt to the young boy and Petunia hit him with a pan. She trembled in a concoction of anger and sadness as the formative years of said boy passed before her very eyes and the reprehensible way he was 'taken care of' was demonstrated.

"How dare they," she cried. "How dare they do such a thing to a wonderful boy".

James' eyes were bloodshot as he mutely pulled the girl close to his chest and pulled her a little too tight for comfort. He was shocked, and his blood boiled at what he had seen.

So lost in their stupors they were that they did not notice the memories had stopped and they were again graced with the presence of Harry.

"I know that couldn't have been easy to see, but I'm here and I survived everything they threw at me, despite their best efforts 'to beat the freakishness out of me'," he said with a dark chuckle with no humour.

"I'll kill them," Lily vowed. "I'm actually going to kill them".

James nodded his agreement.

"Strangely though, that is probably the safest I ever was," Harry snorted. "When I found out that I would be going to Hogwarts, I thought my life would change, and it did, but not exactly the way I was expecting".

"Surely, it can't get worse," Lily almost begged.

"Because of what happened that Halloween night with Voldemort, I was dubbed 'the-boy-who-lived', the first baby to not only vanquish a Dark Lord, but also somehow survive the killing curse," he explained with an amused shake of the head. "I was hoping I could escape the Dursley's and maybe just have some normality, but again, fate had other ideas. I was famous for something I didn't remember, and everyone expected me to be this hero. I didn't even know the wizarding world existed until a few months before I started Hogwarts and people had such high expectations of me. I got used to it though, and people mostly left me alone when they realised I was nothing special. I guess seeing for yourself would explain everything better than I can".

The pair could only look on as harrowing memory after harrowing memory played out in front of them. The troll and Quirrell in first year, Harry discovering he was a parselmouth and accused of being the Heir of Slytherin. The confrontation with the basilisk left them both equally awed and distraught at what the boy had faced. The exposure and effect of the dementors and his subsequent lessons from Remus to combat them had them shaking their heads and the debacle of Sirius and the Tri-Wizard tournament was about all they could take. The rise of the Dark Lord was terrifying to say the least and the longing they witnessed in Harry's eyes as they appeared from the man's wand broke and left them sobbing in the arms of the other, both praying that the memories would end there.

Fury prevailed as they witnessed how Harry was treated by his peers from then on during his fifth year and James had to physically restrain Lily from hunting down Dolores Umbridge and cursing her into oblivion.

All of this coupled with Harry's reaction to losing Sirius and his actions from then on left them flabbergasted to say the least. His life had been trial, tribulation and heartache over and over again.

"How has he not broken?" Lily questioned with a sob. "How is he such a good person?"

James could only shake his head. He knew that Harry had experienced many hardships, but this degree had been unexpected. The boy had achieved incredible things, but not from desire. It had been necessity and elements out of his control that had pushed him to these achievements and James could not be prouder nor more heartbroken. Harry was special, just not how he had been seeing him.

He knew that Harry had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and had often questioned whether or not he should be in Ravenclaw, but this thirst had not been born of want, but need. Harry had to be the way he was if he merely wanted to survive.

"What can we even say to him?" James questioned.

Lily shrugged and looked in the eyes of the boy, seeking the answers for herself.

"I don't know. Whatever I thought I would see, I couldn't even have imagined this," she sighed.

The two were pulled from their conversation by the very boy they were discussing, his eyes tired and looking beyond the years they had seen, more horror than one lifetime could ever express.

"I am sorry I had to show you that," he offered once more.

He snorted slightly before continuing.

"I've spent most of my life trying to live up to what I thought you would expect from me. I just wanted to make you proud. All I ever heard was how great you both were, and I wanted to prove I was worth your sacrifice".

Lily shook her head as her lip trembled, slowly breaking down again at the sincerity Harry was showing.

"I really tried to do the right thing, that was until Sirius was gone. He gave me hope that there was someone I could always turn to that would listen to me and protect me if I needed it. When he was taken, the last of my innocence went with it and I realised a few things. All of the people I wanted to be proud of me were no longer around, and them being taken had one thing in common".

He rose from his chair as his eyes glowed eerily, a mask of unadulterated rage forming.

"Voldemort," he spat.

Lily gasped at his expression and venom in his voice.

"When Sirius was gone I stopped caring about making anyone proud, all I wanted was revenge. I wanted to make him beg for his life, for him to experience the same suffering he has caused me my whole life".

He took a deep breath and sat down, his breathing now laboured.

"Now, it's no different. I want him dead by my own hands in the most painful ways possible. This isn't about the prophecy or doing the right thing. This is what I need to do, because if I don't, I will never be able to live with, or forgive myself. You can argue that it no longer matters as I am here with you now, but it matters to me. I have to do this. I would sooner you hate me and live than experience losing you all over again".

James shuddered at the implications and shook his head sadly.

"I'm not like either of you," Harry spoke again morosely. "Most would call me a dark wizard, I'm certainly not light," he shrugged. "I have seen and done far too much to be a light wizard. I have killed as you saw and will do so again without mercy or remorse when needed. I'm not asking you to support me, I just need you to understand why I am the way I am, why I have to do what I will. I love you both very much and can only hope that you believe that".

The boy fell silent, his eyes full of unshed tears and Lily could only wish that he was there now so that she could hold him close, do all she could to comfort him. He was broken in many ways, that she had no doubt of, but she knew that pieces of him could be put back together. His innocence may be lost, but underneath everything was still that sweet boy she first met a little over a year ago, the courageous and selfless boy she had witnessed in the memories and that little boy that still wanted his parents.

It was too late for the last, she knew. The boy was the same age as herself and James, but that didn't mean that he didn't need her. It didn't mean that she could not be there for him and she knew that was one of the very things she could do for him now.

He no longer needed kisses on scrapes, or 'the talk' from his father, but she could still be there for him as a friend at the very least, the best of friends if possible.

"He needs us, James," she mumbled. "Maybe not the way he did as he grew up, but he still needs us".

James nodded his agreement as he pulled the redhead close to his chest and rested his chin on top of her head.

"He does," he agreed wholeheartedly. "We will be there for him, no matter what".

Lily could only give a watery, weak smile in reply. She knew she wouldn't be able to talk Harry into leaving and letting the past go. She wasn't even sure that she could let any of it go let alone expect him to.

The young couple had witnessed much during their time in the pensieve, none of it easily, if ever forgettable. But both knew they would do all they could for Harry and be there for him in any way they could.

If anyone deserved it, it was him.

(BREAK)

Harry arrived back at the room of requirement, apprehensive of the response he was going to receive. What he didn't expect was to be engulfed in a hug from both Sirius and Remus simultaneously, both boys squeezing the air from his lungs.

"Air," he gasped desperately when he felt close to passing out from the tightness of the embrace.

Both boys looked sheepish as they released him, and Harry took the chance to rub his now aching neck.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Remus asked, a little hurt in his voice.

"What would have been the point?" Harry replied. "It wouldn't have changed anything really".

Remus sighed and shook his head.

"It would have changed everything, Harry," he countered.

"He's right," Sirius interjected.

"Has everyone been in?" Harry asked.

"James and Lily are the last two, they've been in there a while," Remus answered with a slight frown.

"There was more for them to see," Harry sighed.

He took note of the other four occupants in the room. Frank and Alice were both quite pale and subdued, whereas Peter was frowning thoughtfully and shooting furtive glances at the others. Marlene was simply staring at him worriedly as though he might just burst into flames at any moment. He approached the smallest marauder and clapped him firmly on the shoulder to pull him from his thoughts.

Peter jumped, and his eyes widened considerably as he became aware of whom it was that was trying to get his attention.

"H-Harry?" he stuttered.

Hello, Wormy," Harry greeted him with a genuine smile.

Peter frowned once more and looked away from the other boy as a sense of disgust settled within him.

"How can you even look at me after what I did?"

Harry sighed as he shrugged.

"It took a long time for me to not want to kill you," he admitted. "But after a while, I realised that the person you saw in there isn't you. When I think of that person, it is someone completely different now because you are different. I spent a lot of time thinking of ways to kill you, to ensure you got what you deserved but then I got to know you and realised the kind of person you are. I never thought you could be so loyal and brave, Peter, but I was wrong".

"Are you not worried I could do that?"

"Do you intend to?"

Peter shook his head resolutely.

"It could have happened not all that long ago," he whispered. "Now, I would sooner die than lose what I have".

"And that is the difference. I know now that it can't be easy being friends with those three. All of them are very gifted and can overshadow anyone in the room. You're not as loud or outgoing as they are, but you mean the world to us all. I think they need you just as much as you need them".

Peter snorted and shook his head in disbelief.

"I doubt that," he muttered. "I won't become what I saw in there, it makes me feel sick and more ashamed than I ever thought I could be of myself".

Harry said nothing more but gave his shoulder a tight squeeze of reassurance. He had no doubt that Peter was speaking the truth, as much as he never thought he could believe a word that came from the rat, the sincerity he was showing was undeniable.

He left the boy to his own thoughts once more knowing there was little more he could say or do. Peter had to understand his worth himself and it was something that he had do alone. There was only so much that the words of others could do for the boy, the rest was up to him.

"How are you guys doing?" He asked tentatively as he approached Frank and Alice.

"Not good," Frank answered, his voice shaky.

"I won't let that happen to you both again," Harry promised.

Both managed a half-smile at that and Frank rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I know, Harry. It's just terrifying to think of us that way".

"I understand. I just needed you to see what I knew could happen to you. I don't want things to be that way for you".

His thoughts turned to Neville, who resembled the man sat in front of him uncannily. It was strange that he never got to know the boy better. The similarities between the younger Longbottom and his father were rather perturbing in some regards. At times, it was almost like having his lost friend back with him, though Neville was certainly shy whereas Frank oozed confidence and charisma. In that respect, he took after Alice who was much more reserved until you got to know her.

"Why was the memory so hazy?" Alice questioned with a slight frown.

Harry smiled knowingly, his own thoughts unable to prevent him doing so.

"Let's just say some things are better left unknown," he replied half-jokingly. "I promise, it was nothing bad".

Frank nodded his understanding and Alice looked as though she wanted to pry further but thought better of it as Harry spoke once more.

"If things happen the way I expect, then I will tell you," he offered, his eyes twinkling warmly.

Alice rolled her eyes and nodded. She had no doubt that Harry would refuse to discuss the matter further. That did very little satisfy her however, though she knew she could trust Harry to keep his word.

The amiable atmosphere surrounding the teens was interrupted as James and Lily emerged from the pensieve, arms tightly wrapped around one another. The expressions they wore left the others deeply concerned. It was clear that the pair had been crying, but something had changed. The warmth and mischief one could usually see in the hazel eyes of James Potter was noticeably absent and the visage of Lily was nothing short of sheer horror and heartbreak.

The two quickly became aware that they were no longer within the basin and attempted to masquerade their emotions, though it failed mostly, each looking as though they had swallowed a bludger.

"Prongs?" Sirius asked in concern.

The look he received in reply was nothing more than haunted, unshed tears filling his eyes to the brim.

Lily attempted to comfort him by stroking his arm, but it was clear that she too was struggling with what she had seen and was unable to do nothing more for the moment.

"I think we need to be alone with Harry," she requested as she noted his presence, her voice monotonous.

The others left the room and silence reigned for some time before Lily approached the boy and simply stared at him, taking in all of his features. She reached up slowly and placed a hand on his cheek and shook her head, words failing her even though she had so many things she wanted to say.

"All of that was real?" she asked gesturing towards the pensieve.

Harry nodded.

"It was".

Lily swallowed audibly as she shook her head once more.

"I don't even know what to say," she murmured.

"You don't have to say anything," Harry responded with a comforting smile.

Lily exhaled and looked into eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say?" Harry returned. "Oh, hi Lily, this might seem a little strange but I'm actually your son from the future".

The redhead scowled at him and took a step back.

"I deserved to know," She ground out. "I had a right to know. You didn't have to tell me straight away, but you've had over a year to explain".

She was getting angry. She wasn't angry with Harry per say, but angry with what she had been through because of it all.

"I thought there was something wrong with me. I thought I was falling in love with you and was scared when I didn't feel what I expected," She continued with more than a little revulsion. "And when James told me, it all made sense and fell into place. I do love you Harry, just not the way I thought I was supposed to".

"I know, and I'm sorry for all of it," Harry tried. "I didn't want this. I didn't want the confusion or for any of you to get hurt. All I wanted was to protect you all from what I knew would happen".

"It should be us protecting you," Lily fired back.

Harry chuckled darkly.

"No offense Lily, but I grew up without you. I always had to protect myself because I didn't have anyone, and I don't need protecting now. I have seen and done more than most ever will in a life time. I have spent my whole life fighting Dark Lords, thwarting attempts at my life and surviving every day alone. I used to resent you when I was younger because you left me, but I got over it. I grew up and realised that I only had myself when it mattered. I don't need protection and I don't want pity. I just want to know you. I don't need parents, but I want you to be a part of my life".

When he finished speaking, his breathing had become heavy and his eyes filled with pent up emotion.

Lily was openly weeping as she pulled him into a hug, no longer sure what she should say. She understood his feelings, strangely. But she couldn't help feeling hurt by his words.

"Then what do we do from here?" she asked.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"Nothing really has to change," he responded.

"It already has," Lily pointed out. "I know you don't need a mother, but I can't just forget everything. You can't expect me to do that".

"I don't," Harry returned.

He could see the pain she was experience along with the heartache and uncertainty. He pulled her closer as he placed a kiss on her head.

"You will always be my mother, whether or not we are the same age in body. I will look at you that way as I always have. But I don't need mothering, I'm definitely too old to be breast fed and have a nappy change".

James burst out laughing and Lily scowled at the pair before shaking her head.

"You know, you really are just like him in so many ways," she sighed as she pointed at the still guffawing James.

Harry nodded and smirked slightly.

"But I have my mother's eyes".

Lily smiled warmly as she slapped him on the chest lightly before her expression became serious.

"I don't know how this is going to work," she huffed. "But somewhere along the line, we have both lost each other once and I don't want that to happen again".

"I don't either," Harry agreed. "Whatever happens, you'll always be my Mum, no matter how strange it may be".

Lily nodded and smiled, though she was not at all certain about much at the moment. There was a lot to digest after all and she had no doubt that there would be some difficult conversations to be had based on what she had seen from his memories.

"So, what are you going to do next?" she asked worriedly.

"I have to end him," Harry answered without hesitation. "I owe that to myself more than anyone else, but also my friends I left behind. I want them to grow up in a world where they are safe and not having all of this hanging over them".

"You miss them," Lily stated.

"All of them. But if me doing what I have to can save them from what is coming, then I will do whatever is necessary for them and for all of you".

"I really wish you wouldn't," Lily muttered, knowing full well it would change nothing.

"Can you see why I have to?"

Lily nodded reluctantly.

"It has to be me. Prophecy or not, I have to do it".

"So, what is the plan?" James asked, genuinely curious.

Harry rubbed his face and gestured with empty hands.

"He won't face me until he is ready. I'm going to have to force him to make a move against me".

"How?" James queried.

"If I disrupt his plans enough, he will have no choice," Harry answered cryptically.

James frowned, not liking how unforthcoming the other boy was being.

"I have the advantage of knowing who his biggest supporters are. I think it's about time I was a little more proactive and show Tom that he has fucked with the wrong person".

"What do you have in mind?" James questioned further.

"I'm not certain yet, but I have a few ideas I'm mulling over".

The ideas he did have were firmer than he was letting on, he just wasn't quite ready to reveal them as yet.

Voldemort gathered much of his support from fear, and Harry planned on using the very same tactic. These people did not understand reason, nor much else, but fear was a powerful weapon, one he planned on using to its full potential.

If Tom wasn't willing to come out and face him, then Harry would take the fight to the man and force the confrontation. And if he refused, then he would have to watch what he had built collapse around him, something that he could not allow to happen.

Harry had plans, and Tom Marvolo Riddle would regret the day he decided to mark Harry James Potter as his enemy.

(BREAK)

It was some time later that Lily and James left the room, leaving Harry alone to ponder further. Once they had left, he drew his recently acquired wand from its holster on his left arm and rolled it between his fingers thoughtfully as it once again whispered in his mind. He had yet to test it and its capabilities thus far, but now was a good a time as any.

He changed the room to the one he used for his spell practice and removed his jumper before limbering up. Once done, he took a deep breath and fired a Blasting Curse with nary a thought and marvelled at the speed of the spell as it careened across the room and reduced a training dummy to powder, the resulting explosion making the room itself quake in the aftermath.

His eyebrows rose at the results and he smirked gleefully.

The power increase was negligible as expected, but the response of his magic, was much more than he was anticipating. It was as though the wand obeyed his intention immediately and the pull on his magic had been almost non-existent.

It would certainly be a significant advantage during a fight.

After experimenting with the wand further, chaining together spells with the utmost ease and destroying several more dummies, he took a seat, the fatigue he would usually be feeling by now not even half as apparent.

He attempted a few intricate Transfigurations and frowned at the results. The wand did nothing in regard to bettering his creations and he found himself shaking his head as he decided that he would use his own wand for the standard day to day magic. It felt more comfortable than the Elder wand and he did not want to become completely reliant on that.

He withdrew his own and basked in the warmth it gave him as he gripped it tightly, the familiarity of it washing over him. The Elder wand gave him a sense of power, he could not deny that, but it was rather cold in comparison to his own. It was as though his own wand could do anything he wished it to and do it more than satisfactorily. The Elder wand however seemed tuned to powerful and destructive magic, something that did not surprise Harry at all based on what he knew of its origins. His ancestor had asked for a wand more powerful than any other, a wand that would be unbeatable in a duel.

He had received exactly what he had asked for; a wand that was crafted for battle.

He did not take into account that wands are not only used to fight, but they are a tool and Harry wondered if the man had time to realise what it was that he had been given before he had his throat slit and the wand taken.

He shook his head of those thoughts as they mattered not. All that mattered to the teen was that he had advantage in battle and he would use it as and when necessary.

He would be a fool not to and judging by the images of spells and magic the wand was constantly feeding him, he would certainly have more than a few surprises for any that provoked his ire.

"You first, Tom," he growled.

With that declaration he stood and decided the time was right to experiment with the wand further, to see how much the family magic, gifted to the Peverell's by Death himself, could benefit him.

 **A/N**

 **Another one down!**

 **I'm not 100% happy with all of this and wrote and rewrote it so many times. There is a chance I will edit this at some point, but as things are, I'm fairly happy with it overall.**

 **I have updated my profile as promised so check it out and you can have a look at what it is I am working on and what I'm planning for the future.**

 **As usual guys, I thank you for sticking with this and supporting me with your reviews and follows etc, it really does mean the world to me.**

 **I have been absent longer than I intended I lost my job recently as the company closed down and I haven't felt much like writing whilst trying to find work and dealing with all the necessary stuff.**

 **Anyway, please do follow, favourite and review as you always do, and I hope you continue to enjoy what I publish. Of course, feel free to PM also. I do always try my best to get back to you all in a timely manner.**

 **Peace, love and all that jazz.**

 **TBR**


	16. The Forging of the Final Path

**A/N**

 **Another chapter complete and I believe that there will be one or two more with an epilogue of course.**

 **Again, I want to take the time to thank you all for the support you show me with the reviews, favourites and follows; They are always much appreciated.**

 **Just a couple of things I want to say before we proceed, to address a couple of things people have mentioned.**

 **I am very much aware that Harry's Grandparents in canon are named Fleamont and Euphemia. However, as this is fanfiction, I think I shall name them as I please. I also believe I mentioned at the beginning or at the end of Honour Thy Blood, that I will liberally adjust ages and names to fit my story how I please. There a very few of you that has expressed your dislike of this, and all I can say is it is something that I will continue to do as and when I like.**

 **Anyway, with the little rant over, please do enjoy.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 16: The Forging of the Final Path

Harry felt a bead of sweat roll between his shoulder blades as he parried away two Cutting Curses and once again went on the offensive. The duel between the two had begun at a sedate pace, both combatants respecting the skills of the other enough to be satisfied with trading and countering what each had to offer. However, it was inevitable that such a pace was only temporary, and it took only a moment or two for the fight to devolve into the destructive encounter it had become.

The younger of the two was content to use his agility and speed to his advantage whilst firing off powerful salvos of varying types of magic to keep his opponent on the back foot. The older man approached the battle just as Harry had expected; using an abundance of counter-curses, shielding and his undoubtedly exquisite Transfiguration capabilities in an attempt to subdue, or bring him down.

The green-eyed teen had managed to negate everything the other had thrown his way thus far, but he found himself more than impressed by his revered Headmaster and had almost been caught out on a few occasions by the man's creativity. Regardless of any personal animosity Harry had felt towards him, there was no denying that Albus Dumbledore was a supremely gifted and powerful wizard. He of course had already had the pleasure of witnessing the man battle his own adversary in Voldemort and it certainly appeared that his style of combat was very much the same, even in his younger years.

With a flick of his wand, he destroyed the conjured lion and bull with a stream of black flames and fired off a chain of debilitating spells causing the old man to shield, just as Harry had anticipated. The moment he was obscured by the pulsating dome, the young man dispersed an impressive torrent of water from his wand and demonstrated his own impressive Transfiguration skill.

Dumbledore dropped his shield as the last of Harry's spells dissipated against it, ready to face what the boy had to offer next. His eyes widened in shock as they came upon the sight of a gargantuan Thestral of water surging towards him, clearly intent on swallowing him down into its icy bowels. Instinctively, he backhand motioned his wand exaggeratedly and sent the creature back towards its caster, transfiguring the beast into something more befitting of himself.

Although he was unprepared for such a turn of events, Harry reacted immediately and fired a ball of lightning into the now approaching phoenix, causing it to explode into a heavy downpour within the room. Seizing the advantage immediately, he summoned a substantial amount of the droplets towards himself whilst imbuing them with magic before firing them towards the chief warlock before beginning a countdown in his head, an assured grin gracing his lips.

Dumbledore, having no idea what was heading his way, erected a powerful shield and found himself gasping as the water collided with it, sending bone-jarring shockwaves throughout his being as his ears began to ring painfully from the loud explosions. A moment later, he was surprised to find himself on his back as a second wave of the same magic smashed into his construct, the force and pressure of whatever Harry had done finally overwhelming him. He took a deep breath as he began to mutter, all of his effort now being aimed towards strengthening his defences.

Once again, he found himself shocked as the visage of the younger man appeared above him, sitting astride his shield, smirking at him triumphantly. The older man quickly forced a little more power into his shield, breathing a sigh of relief as it pulsated, once again feeling safe from any attack that could come his way. He needed but a moment to recover, and he had faith that he could do so in the confines of his sanctuary. He was taken aback as the boy merely nodded appreciatively at his powerful construct before smiling once again as he raised his wand in a stabbing motion.

There was an almighty gong-like sound as the purple and black wand smashed into the shield and seemingly sunk into it. Dumbledore frowned as an indentation appeared above him as he stared into the business end of the wand. His frown deepened as he realised the wand itself had not penetrated all the way through, but his eyebrows rose as a black mass began trickling from the wooden implement and began spreading throughout his nearly opaque creation leaving deep fractures in its wake.

By now, he had recovered sufficiently enough and braced himself for the inevitable collapse, ready to go on the offensive at the earliest possible moment. As soon as the first hole appeared, he fired a Banishing Charm at his assailant, sending him sprawling and skidding across the still wet floor.

Undeterred by this setback, Harry rolled to his feet and sprinted towards the now standing older man, keen to end the battle as soon as possible. Dumbledore however, was no longer content to simply counter what came his way, took aim and launched his own offensive. Again, he was surprised by the teen as he spun between his first two spells and burst into smoke just before the third could impact against him.

Albus was now seemingly alone in the room, the only prevailing sound being the ominous dripping of water around him. The grip around his wand tightened as he attempted to feel the presence of the younger man, his senses on high alert when nothing made itself known. A second too late, he felt a gentle surge of foreign magic around him as his airway closed tightly and he fought to breathe through the suffocation he was now experiencing. This was no magic he had witnessed before and it unnerved him considerably. He didn't think Harry would do anything to kill him, but he was not comfortable with such a level of vulnerability he was feeling. With a sputter, he aimed his wand towards himself and released a beam of his own magic, something he was loath to do in any situation, but in such circumstances, he had no choice.

A yelp of pain mirroring his own was heard and the obtrusive magic lifted, allowing him to breathe once more, though it was now ragged at best. Despite this, he was ready to continue and demonstrated this by taking a defensive stance.

He watched as Harry stood some distance away, nursing a charred shoulder as he bowed respectfully towards him, not at all concerned that the older man had caused him significant pain. Instead, the eyes of the other glowed eerily as he charged with inhuman speed towards him, casting spells as he did so.

Albus, ever the collected man, swept his wand in front of him and created a wall of white flame, hoping to deter the boy from engaging him in close range once more. The sight of the boy leaping through the wall unscathed, clutching a large bronze shield adorned with a snake on his arm left him with his mouth agape. With speed unexpected from one his age, he whipped his wand upwards, ripping up a significant piece of the floor between the two of them, hindering the direct path to him the boy was determined to take.

Whilst waiting for the inevitable breach of his barrier, he twirled his wand as a conductor would their baton and whispered under his breath. A golden mage shield formed around him, sheltering him from anything short of one of the unforgivable, something he did not expect Harry to resort. He was soon to learn that there were other possibilities to overcome his near impenetrable fortress.

He winced as another almighty explosion shook the room and the resulting debris of his constructed wall bounced loudly but harmlessly off of his magical manifestation. He was met with a knowing, yet respectful nod of appreciation by the teen as he swept the rocky remains aside with a careless, casual gesture.

Albus acknowledged the nod with one of his own. The shielded he had opted to use was scarcely seen. It was no unknown piece of magic, it was just devilishly difficult to conjure. It relied not only on a supremely powerful caster who had the stamina to maintain it, but also a level of concentration that many did not possess. Not only this, it was a very draining spell to use and could not be held indefinitely.

Harry was not surprised that Dumbledore could achieve such a feat. What did surprise him however was the apparent ease in which he seemed to use the spell, particularly without the Elder Wand. He himself could cast it, but it was not one he would unless absolutely necessary. There were other sufficient shields available and one would only conjure this if they were not completely confident in their ability to protect them sufficiently. Harry did not believe this was the case with the Headmaster. He believed the man had chosen this for the purpose of testing.

He shook his head in amusement as he raised an eyebrow towards the now puzzled man. He deliberately paced slowly around the circumference of the perfectly formed circle of magic as he poked and prodded at it with his purpleheart wand intermittently.

When he was satisfied that there were no weaknesses, he drew the wand across his palm, opening a reasonably deep cut, causing Dumbledore to frown questioningly. With a flick of it, he levitated some of his blood and placed it on the shimmering barrier, eliciting a gasp this time from the older man, particularly when he began waving his wand in intricate patterns and muttering in a little-known language, one the other man appeared familiar with.

Albus could only watch as the blood began to spread, tainting the golden sheen with a crimson coating. He braced himself as the morbid liquid coated his shield in its entirety and braced himself. With a gentle rumble, it exploded with much more force than he had expected and found himself being flung across to the opposite side of the room with air he had in his lungs being expelled violently.

He managed to cushion his fall hastily, though it did little to soothe his already now throbbing body. He coughed harshly as he attempted to inhale some air but turned as he sensed some movement to his right, extending his wand, ready to strike if necessary.

Harry had clearly been caught in the explosion also as he was sprawled next to him on the ground. Both had seemed to sense the other at the same time because each now had a wand pointed between their eyes respectively, tip glowing and staring into the surprised features of their foe.

Harry smiled warmly as he sent his back into his holster and pushed himself shakily to his feet. Dumbledore returned the gesture and allowed the younger man to pull him to his own, smiling as he did so.

"I think we can call that a draw," Harry gasped.

Dumbledore chuckled, and coughed once more.

"Agreed," he wheezed. "I must say, it has been decades since I have faced such adversity, my boy. It seems that I am out of practice".

Harry shook his head amusedly and offered the older man his hand, who took it immediately, happy to accept the shake as a sign of respect.

"That was some very inspired magic you used, Harry. Where did you get such an idea?"

"That was an educated experiment," the younger man replied as he removed and resized his trunk he had stowed away in his pocket. "The idea actually came from you," he added as he opened the lid and began searching through his belongings.

"From me?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.

Harry nodded as he offered the man a few vials from his own supply.

"Well, the other you really," he answered as he began applying some burn salve to his wounded shoulder and gulped down a pain reliever. "There's a Pain Reliever, a Reinvigoration Draught and some Pepper-up," he finished as he noted the Headmaster inspecting the contents of what he had gifted him.

Dumbledore nodded gratefully as he drained all three and let out a content breath.

"You placed me under blood wards when I was a child. You said they were one of the best defences possible. I figured the same thing could be used offensively in some way," he shrugged.

"I never thought of that," the Headmaster mused aloud as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I think you proved sufficiently that it is effective".

Harry shook his head and snorted slightly.

"Next time, I won't be standing there to admire my work".

"No, I don't suppose that was the best idea," Dumbledore agreed wholeheartedly.

A comfortable silence fell between the two as they tended to the rest of their injuries, neither having managed to escape unscathed.

"I want to apologise to you, Harry," Dumbledore broke in after a few minutes. "For whatever part my counterpart played in any unpleasantness you experienced, I am truly sorry".

Harry waved him off.

"I can't hold that against you, sir. As much as I wanted to when I first arrived here, it's not fair. I've afforded others who have caused me pain a chance, and you deserve the same. I'm not happy with a lot of what you did, but I'm over it, it's in the past now. It was just easier to blame you for certain things without actually ever being in your position".

"I thank you for that courtesy, Harry," Dumbledore replied with a bow.

"Besides, what happened then isn't important anymore. I'm focused on ensuring it does not happen again and that means putting an end to Tom".

The headmaster nodded his understanding and took comfort in the silence that followed. It was Harry that eventually broke it this time.

"What would you do if you were me, sir?"

Dumbledore frowned as he scratched his chin.

"That is a very difficult question to answer. From what I saw of your memories, I understand your desire to take your chosen path. I guess we are just two very different people with different experiences in life. Yours was ultimately made a misery by him and you can attribute so much of that negativity to him and his actions towards you. Without meaning to sound callous, I have not been so unfortunate to share a life even close to similar to your own. I have experienced loss and heartbreak, but nothing as you have, my boy," he admitted sympathetically. "With that being said, I can understand your desire and need and can't categorically deny that I would not wish the same thing if I were in your position, having experienced what you have".

Harry nodded mutely, a little surprised by the admission.

"And from your point of view, what do you think I should do next?"

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully as he mulled over his answer.

"Based on what I know of Tom, he will not be eager to face you unless he is ready," he mused. "He was very much the same in his formative years," he sighed.

"What do you mean?" Harry queried, his curiosity piqued.

"Tom had a difficult few years when he first came to Hogwarts. As a half-blood orphan in Slytherin, it was always going to be so. I had vowed to keep an eye on him from our first meeting. He had exhibited some rather concerning tendencies," he explained.

"Concerning?"

"Indeed. It was clear that he was already on his way to becoming what he is now. He took pleasure in inflicting pain upon others and was no stranger to doing what he deemed necessary to attain what he wanted".

Harry shook his head, the thought of Voldemort as a child had never registered with him before.

"Anyway, I digress," Dumbledore began once more. "His first few years here were unpleasant for the boy. Many a time he was a target for those believing they were his superior because of their blood and his lack of knowledge. That all changed however when he entered the castle for his fourth year of teaching".

"What happened?"

"Tom had changed. For whatever reason, he was no longer timid when confronted and people took notice of his prowess. He was gifted exceedingly so academically, but it was his physical capabilities that people took note of. I believe this was around the time he came upon his true heritage and he certainly used that to his advantage".

"He became a bully?" Harry questioned with a frown.

Dumbledore shook his head emphatically.

"No, my boy. Tom was many things but never a bully within these walls. If anything, people looked up to him because of the respect his mere presence commanded. The incidences involving him did not cease however, but it was Tom that came out of these exchanges unscathed," he explained tiredly.

"He took his revenge," Harry stated knowingly.

"That he did," Dumbledore confirmed. "Any and all that had wronged him in the past soon found themselves facing his ire, but not until he was confident he would come out on top".

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"It is just as I thought," he muttered. "Then I was right in thinking I would have to force him into a confrontation".

"What options have you considered?"

Harry exhaled deeply and met the questioning eyes of the other man.

"I thought maybe taking his top followers out of the equation would be a good start".

Dumbledore nodded and stroked his beard in thought.

"It could work," he mumbled more to himself. "But Tom has no emotional attachment to them, I don't believe it would suffice".

"Well, what would you do?" Harry returned a little irritably.

"I believe a more official approach may aid us with this. You have a very unique perspective and knowledge which would be wasted should we not take advantage of such a thing. Is there anything you can think of that could get the attention of the Minister and force her into action?"

Harry nodded as he frowned.

"We could use the Dark Mark. Perhaps find a way for it to be recognized as illegal," he offered.

"How so?"

"Well, at the end of the first war in my time, most of the top tier Death Eaters escaped justice by claiming they were under the Imperius Curse the entire time. But you can't take the mark unwillingly. You have to do some very gruesome acts to earn it".

"I believe you may be on to something, Harry," the headmaster praised. "The only snag is, that the public aren't supposed to know about it".

"Then we bring Moody in, and set up a meeting with Bagnold. She owes me a favour for that tournament farce".

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Have you considered a career in politics, my boy?"

Harry grimaced at the very thought.

"No, thank you," he answered, the disgust evident in his tone.

"I do believe you would find much success if you did," the older man offered sincerely.

Harry simply shook his head in response. He had no wish to enter the political field in any capacity.

"Might I enquire as to how your friends are handling things now that your true identity is known to them?"

"I think they're coming to terms with it all," Harry answered uncertainly. "It's almost the same as it was before, but definitely different with Lily mostly".

It had been a little over two weeks since the group had viewed the memories in the pensive and overall, little had changed. Frank and Alice were a lot more understanding of his position as were Sirius, Remus, Marlene and Peter. The two that had been the most affected had unsurprisingly been James and Lily.

The former seemed intent on knowing where Harry was at all times, openly questioning him on where he was going and what he was doing. Harry understood this to an extent, but it had started to grate on his nerves somewhat. The other Potter seemed to pick up on this and had stopped being so persistent with his questioning.

Lily however, was a completely different story.

Harry had expected there would be questions from the redhead, and certainly some conversations that needed to be had. He was not prepared however for the amount of either of these that had taken place. He felt guilty for not being as forthcoming as he could have been with the girl from the start, but the conversations only usually led to her being more upset and further conversations of this nature.

He knew it was only temporary and was quite happy to endure it as long as it took. He just wanted the girl to stop blaming herself for things she had no control of.

"It will take time," Dumbledore broke in. "It is quite the adjustment".

"I know," Harry groaned.

"And what of Miss Black?" the headmaster questioned further. "I don't mean to pry, I am merely concerned as she is a student".

"She's doing better, but she still has a lot to work through. I'm going to start helping her with her occlumency this evening".

Dumbledore smiled genuinely at the news.

"She has done well," he observed. "I shall not keep you any longer, but I will send word soon when Alastor is available".

Harry shrunk his trunk and placed it in his pocket before offering the man a nod of gratitude.

"Same time next week?" he questioned with a grin.

Dumbledore bowed, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Indeed, my boy. But perhaps next time we should forego the duel?"

Harry laughed.

"If I remember correctly, it was your idea," he pointed out.

"One I do not regret, but do not plan on repeating too frequently, if you don't mind. I am an old man after all".

Harry chuckled but nodded his agreement.

"Until next time, Harry".

"I look forward to it, sir."

(BREAK)

It was after he had showered and tended his wounds further that Harry arrived at the home of Pollux and Druella Black. The man had oddly insisted on keying the teen into the wards so that he could come and go as he pleased to visit his middle daughter, something that the boy was grateful for. The two were no longer at odds, but Pollux was certainly wary of him and it was clear with how he treated Harry. He was respectful as one would be of any who had bested him in the past. There was however a lingering tension between them from the events of their first meeting. Harry would never forgive him entirely for his actions and Pollux was a very prideful man, something that Harry had hurt.

The same could not be said for Druella. The usually firm woman treated him with warmth and always smiled when he would arrive, offering refreshments and asking after him fondly. He too had grown rather fond of the lady and found her company and obvious care for her daughter refreshing for one of House Black.

The two were sat at the polished kitchen table drinking tea when he arrived, and Pollux, as he always did, greeted him with a nod before returning to reading The Evening Prophet.

"Would you like some tea, Harry?" She offered.

Harry shook his head.

"No thank you, Mrs Black, I've just taken some potions so should let them settle first," he explained.

"You're not sick, are you?" She questioned worriedly.

Harry chuckled.

"No, nothing like that," he assured her. "I picked up a couple of injuries whilst training," he elaborated as he exposed a small amount of his burnt shoulder that had been smothered with the orange burn salve.

The lady grimaced in distaste and Pollux let out an uncharacteristic bark of laughter.

"Someone finally got you," he stated.

The was a slight hint of humour in his voice as he spoke, and no malice intended, though his wife shot him an unamused glare.

Harry returned the laughter, taking the barb as it had been intended and dragged a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, Dumbledore can be quite vicious when he wants to be," he deadpanned.

"You're at odds with Dumbledore now?" Pollux asked with a slight frown.

"No, he actually offered to help me," Harry shrugged. "Despite how eccentric he is, he's a brilliant wizard".

Pollux nodded grudgingly and fell silent.

"How is she today?" Harry inquired.

Druella sighed as her eyes filled with sadness.

"Quite restless. She hasn't left her room and keeps asking for her wand."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"I don't think there's any danger of her attacking anyone anymore, maybe you should let her have it."

Druella looked towards Pollux who nodded his agreement.

"We can't keep it from her forever. She needs as much normality as possible, Dru."

Druella had been very reluctant to relinquish the wand since her daughter had been brought to the house. It was an understandable action as Bellatrix had been very unpredictable. But now, there seemed no reason to not allow her to have it. She was far from okay, but even the mind healers at St. Mungo's had agreed that the likelihood of a lapse to the degree she had experienced was no longer very likely.

Her reluctance wavered as Harry held his hand out and gestured for the wand to be handed over. With only a brief moment of hesitation, she complied and received a grateful smile from the teen as he slid the item into his holster.

"Thank you," he intoned.

Druella offered him a weak smile as Pollux acknowledged his action with a stiff nod.

"I will check on her," Harry explained as he left the room and headed to where he had spent much of the last two weeks.

As always, he knocked gently on the solid oak door, and waited for the girl to allow him entry. Almost immediately, he heard her footsteps approaching from within her room and was shortly thereafter faced with a scowling Bellatrix Black, though her eyes lit up considerably upon seeing him, with only a slight hint of worry lingering.

"I didn't think you were coming today, it's later than you usually get here."

Harry pulled the girl into his arms and murmured a sincere apology in her ear. He hadn't noted the time but had arrived as soon as he could after he had finished with the headmaster.

"I was with Dumbledore," he explained. "I Should have told you."

The girl waved him off dismissively as she took a seat on her bed and waited for him to join her.

"You don't have to apologise, I just worry about you," she replied as she bit her lip nervously.

And she did, something that Harry was very much aware of.

Whenever he was gone, she was plagued with worry and thoughts that he simply would not be returning, whether that be she suddenly wakes up and his return had been but a cruel dream, or he would find himself in another situation in which he could be taken from her once more.

He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, even though he had no words to truly placate her fears. He couldn't promise that he wouldn't find himself in such a scenario, and he would not lie to her for her to be torn apart if his words were to be proven false.

"I am sorry, Bella," he muttered.

She shook her head and smiled at him weakly.

"You don't have to apologise to me, Harry," she replied with tear-filled eyes.

"I do when I hurt you, and when I feel that it's needed," he countered.

Bellatrix slid her hand from his and stood abruptly.

"No, you don't," she growled irritably. "You don't owe me anything."

Harry frowned in confusion at her exclamation.

Bellatrix sighed has she sat by him and took his hand again.

"I'm broken, Harry," she choked. "I'm not the same person I was, and I don't think I ever will be. You don't owe me anything, you don't have to be here," she sighed.

Harry continued frowning as his heart sunk at the thought of losing her as he had before.

"No, let me finish," Bellatrix continued, halting his reply. "You came back to end him, and you will do that no matter what it takes, and the truth is, I can't lose you again, not like that."

She swallowed deeply before she spoke once more, her voice shaky.

"As things are, I am just a distraction to you. I can't be fixed and be the way I was, too much has happened for that and when you finish this, you deserve someone and something whole," she finished sadly.

Harry felt a surge of anger and hurt at her words, but managed to swallow it with a deep, ragged breath of his own. He understood her point of view, he had been there himself in his darkest moments when he had been made to feel worthless and when he had been at his weakest.

"Before you say anything else, I have some things to show you and some things I have to say, so please just hear me out?"

Bellatrix scrutinized him for a minute before nodding.

"You'd better get a coat, it's cold outside," he advised, his voice becoming closed off and flat.

"I can't, not without my wand," she replied timidly as she glanced outside to the blackened sky.

Harry smiled weakly as he drew her wand and handed it to her.

"I won't let a thing happen to you, Bella," he promised firmly.

The girl nodded before she exited the room and returned a few moments later, already buttoning a thick, black parker.

"I'm ready."

Harry nodded and offered her his arm and the pair vanished soundlessly, the former offering no explanation of where they were going.

They arrived behind what appeared to be a large muggle church made of stone. It was quiet here, not even the sound of traffic intruding upon the serenity of this place. At Harry's prompting, the duo left the churchyard and found themselves on a worn footpath connected to a cobbled road.

"Where are we?" Bellatrix whispered, her voice unconsciously lowering to reflect where it was they had come to.

"This, is Godric's Hollow," the boy replied, looking slightly pale compared to his usual complexion. "This, as far as I know, is where I was born."

In lieu of replying, Bellatrix opted to remain silent. Harry would not have brought her here without reason. The silence remained for a further five minutes whilst she allowed herself to be led to whatever it was Harry wished her to see.

"There it is," he said as he pointed towards a small cottage.

"The house you were born in?"

Harry nodded mutely as the horror of that Halloween night played through his mind, leaving his eyes haunted, with a little hint of fear.

"Harry?" Bellatrix broke in gently, her heart breaking as the foreign emotion made itself known.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he smiled sadly.

"This is where it all began."

"Halloween, 1981," Bellatrix murmured in realisation. "The night your parents were killed."

Harry nodded slowly as he dragged a hand through his hair.

"Close your eyes for me," he requested gently.

Bellatrix shot him a questioning look but did as she had been asked.

"Now, you know a fair amount about James and Lily. I want you to think about the upbringing I would have had if that night never happened and they had both lived. Please, really think about it and think of the kind of person I would be."

Bellatrix worried her lip as she thought about the kind of boy James and Lily would raise and shook her head in amusement. The kid would no doubt have a penchant for making a nuisance of himself at every possible turn, but would no doubt be gifted. Both James and Lily were exceptional people, and any child of theirs would be equally, or even more so.

"Open your eyes and tell me if the person standing in front of you is what you imagined."

Bellatrix did so and swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. The young man that stood before her was not what she had envisioned. This person was hardened, not even a shadow of what she had seen, but so much more at the same time. There was a coldness, a distance to him. There was little warmth as one would expect from a boy of his parentage. If anything, James Potter and Lily Evans were warm, passionate, neither representing anything of the boy she looked upon.

She closed her eyes once more as her own met his, an all too familiar sight having been reflected back to her, a look that she saw when she gazed into a mirror since the night she had returned home.

"There's one more place I'd like you to see," Harry requested gently as he offered her his arm to conclude their journey.

Bellatrix nodded as she tried to push out the cold that had seemingly settled within her in the last few moments.

Again, the pair vanished without pomp nor circumstance, this time appearing in a muggle park with Harry immediately taking the lead once more as he led them to their destination.

It was strange for him to return here. He had never anticipated doing so under any circumstances, and now that he was here, he knew he had made the right decision to avoid this place.

For but a moment, he felt as though he was nine-years-old and making his way home from a round of Harry-hunting, only to be walking into his own personal purgatory.

He shivered as those memories surfaced, angry that it had ever been allowed to happen, and even angrier that it still bothered him.

Bellatrix took note of this but decided not to ask. Harry would speak when he was ready to and she did not want to pry into something that had clearly left its presence within him.

She took in her surroundings; her curiosity having been piqued. She had very little experience of the muggle world, and what she was seeing left her fascinated. The houses, the gardens, almost everything on each street was identical, right down to the neatly trimmed grass in the front garden.

She was bewildered by such a sight. Wizards prided themselves on their differences, but these people seemed to have strange societal expectations when it came to how they lived.

She shook her head as Harry came to a stop outside a house inexplicably the same as the others, this one with the number 4 adorning the white, front door.

"That same Halloween night, I was brought here to my Aunt's home, left on the doorstep in a basket with a note explaining why," Harry explained without prompt.

Bellatrix dared a glance at him and saw that same haunted look once more in his eyes, causing her to shudder involuntarily.

"I lived here until I was 11, knowing nothing about either of my parents, not knowing about magic and being punished for being a freak," he spat.

He stepped forward and drew his wand before waving it and muttering under his breath. The only sign that he had performed any spell was a gentle, blue sheen enveloping the house. He waved it once more and the door clicked open.

"Harry, this is someone's house," Bellatrix hissed.

The boy shrugged and entered leaving the girl outside the front door for a moment before she decided to follow him in. She found him in the hallway a half-dozen feet away from the entrance staring at a small door situated under the stairs that led to the upper floor of the house.

"Almost ten years I lived in there," he snorted with a nod in its direction.

Bellatrix frowned as she reached out and opened it, her eyes widening in horror as the small space within was revealed.

"Ten years?" she asked weakly.

Harry had of course mentioned the cupboard to her, but she had not expected this. Even a house-elf was allowed better accommodations.

Harry nodded.

"When I wasn't cleaning, cooking or being punished, I was locked in here," he answered distastefully. "We need to go before I burn it to the ground."

Bellatrix nodded as Harry undid the silencing, and muggle repelling wards he had placed and took her hand, leaving Privet Drive behind, this time arriving in Bellatrix's bedroom.

"What did you learn from that?" Harry asked as he took a seat on her bed.

Bellatrix shook her head and snorted lightly.

"That you had a very fucked up life," she answered immediately.

Harry chuckled darkly and smiled at her ignorance.

"True," he conceded, "but that wasn't the point of that."

"Why did you show me then?"

"Remember what you thought of when we were in Godric's Hollow, how you would expect a child of James and Lily to be."

Bellatrix remained silent as what she had imagined that very thing.

"It's not me, is it?"

Bellatrix swallowed deeply.

"No," she agreed sadly. "It's not you, Harry."

Harry sighed as he pulled her next to him and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"The truth is, Bella, I was broken even before I got the chance to be what I should have, and I only became more broken as the years went by. I endured life with my relatives, and then found out I was famous in the wizarding world where a maniacal Dark Lord was intent on destroying me completely."

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Every year at school something happened to me and broke me further still. I lost friends at a whim, one being murdered in front of me when I was fourteen, and when I was fifteen, I watched my Godfather fall victim to the same fate, all because he wanted to protect me."

He took a minute to compose himself before cupping her cheek and looking intently into her eyes.

"I am sorry, Bella."

He held up a hand to prevent any interruption.

"For not explaining what I was going to do and making you experience the same thing I had to. I loved the Sirius from my time, more than anyone else and when he was gone, he took the last of my innocence and compassion with him, and I put you in the same position that I was back then by doing what I did."

The girl frowned in confusion but had no time to reply.

"I have a very jaded view on love, because I don't remember ever feeling it much before I came here, it was a foreign thing to me and still is in some ways. I love all of my friends here, James and Lily in a different way. But with you, it's even more different."

"How so?" she whispered.

"Because I lost all of them before and I survived it. I wasn't happy, and I missed them terribly, but I survived and became a much stronger person for it. Not the person I ever wanted to be though," he added under his breath.

Bellatrix shot him a questioning look causing him to sight.

"I never aspired to be what I am, but I became what I did out of necessity. I can't watch another person I care for die because of me, I don't have it in me to survive that. I've been selfish, and I know that now. It's not my place to stop anyone from fighting if they choose to and I've been keeping everyone out of it as much as I can for my own selfish reasons. I didn't think I would ever have to worry about someone being willing to fight let alone die beside me for any of this, but I was wrong. More than ever, I have those kinds of people in my life."

"You do," Bellatrix agreed softly.

"And that is why I'm sorry," Harry sighed. "Not for what I did, but because of why I did it."

The girl took some time to absorb his words and offered him a gentle smile.

"I understand, and I forgive you, Harry," she spoke sincerely.

He nodded gratefully.

"Why did you want to be with me?" he questioned.

"Because, I fell in love with you, Harry. Every last bit of you," she answered with certainty.

"Even though I'm broken?"

Bellatrix frowned as Harry stood and took a china vase from her bedside table. It had been a gift from her Grandfather when he and her Grandmother had visited the continent a few years prior and something she was very fond of.

" _Geminio,"_ Harry mumbled, creating a perfect replica of the piece and placing the original back in its rightful place.

He dropped the replica to the floor, leaving it in several pieces and causing Bellatrix to raise a questioning eyebrow. With a flick of his wand, the pieces melded back together, though it had several cracks where they had been joined.

"I don't get it," Bellatrix intoned.

Harry nodded as he retrieved the vase from the ground and held it in front of him.

"This was exactly the same as yours before I dropped it, and even though I put it back together, it is still damaged, broken even," he pointed out as he gestured towards the visible cracks. "It won't ever be the same as it was no matter what I do to it."

"Okay," Bellatrix replied uncertainly.

She understood what he was saying, but she didn't quite understand his point.

He sighed as he continued.

"This is me," he mumbled as he nodded towards the damaged ornament. "Since I've been here, the cracks have been filled by all of the things that were taken away from me, but they are still there beneath it all and always will be. I was damaged by what happened to me as this vase was when I dropped it, and even though it's all back together, the cracks are still there."

Bellatrix nodded her understanding as she stood and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"But I don't see the cracks, Harry. I love you, despite all of the things we both wish you didn't have to experience."

Harry smiled as he pushed her away gently.

"I don't see them either," he muttered. "I'm not very good at this kind of stuff, but I do know I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone or anything. And even if you see yourself as broken, I don't. I still see that same girl I fell in love with, despite what you have been through."

Bellatrix allowed an errant tear to slide free as she rested her head against his chest. It was moments like these when he spoke from the heart that made all of what she had endured worth it.

"I'm not perfect, and I will never pretend to be. I am broken, perhaps we both are in some ways. But I would much rather we be broken together than face losing you. I can't do that again, Bella," he whispered.

Bellatrix nodded.

"But what happens when you go and face that monster again? And what happens when it's all over?"

Harry sighed and swallowed deeply.

"You will be right there with me as I would insist if I was in your position. I can't promise that I won't do something reckless if it will save your life, but you deserve to have the chance that I never got. To be there for the people you care about when they need it most."

"That's all I want," She murmured in reply. "Whatever comes, we face it together as we should."

Although he did not like the idea, he nodded his agreement. If these people truly cared for him as he did them, then they had every right to choose if they fought or not. As much as he hated the reality, it was not his place to deny them that freedom.

"How is your occlumency coming along?" he asked, wanting to speak of something else and not dwell on what was to come.

"I can't face it at the moment," Bellatrix answered fearfully. "I'm scared of going back in there alone."

"Then I'll go in with you. If we are going to be facing these things together, then you have to let me help you with this," he insisted with a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes at him and swatted him across the shoulder playfully.

"I walked right into that," she growled causing the boy to chuckle. "Thank you, Harry. I really do appreciate it."

"I know, and just so you know, I'm not here out of a sense of duty or because it's the right thing to do. I'm here because there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be. Just being with you makes everything that much better."

"It's the same for me, and I'm still scared you won't come back one day."

"Then it's up to me to prove you wrong," Harry stated simply as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

The two were pulled from their intimate moment by a knock on the door.

"Harry, Bellatrix, can you meet us in the dining room in five minutes?" the voice of Arcturus requested.

"You can come in, Grandfather," Bellatrix sighed.

"No thank you, I know what you kids are like these days and I don't want to witness my granddaughter in such a precarious position," the old man deadpanned.

"Grandfather!" Bellatrix scolded at the implied scandal.

The reply she received was a mischievous chuckle from the man as he made his way down the hall and towards the staircase.

"I can't believe he would think such a thing," Bellatrix exclaimed embarrassedly.

"I guess your sister and Ted have tainted his view of our generation," Harry answered dryly.

Bellatrix huffed as she stood.

"Let's go now, I don't want him to think for a second his suspicions are founded."

"Let him think what he wants," Harry suggested as he pulled the girl flush to him and kissed her again causing her to squeal uncharacteristically.

"Harry," she admonished him but accepted the kiss nonetheless with a content smile.

The couple extricated themselves from one another shortly after and made their way to the dining room as instructed for the impromptu meeting.

"Ahh, it's nice of you to finally join us," Arcturus greeted the pair with a smirk.

Bellatrix did not dignify the man with a response as she took her seat and offered her mother a smile.

"Your Grandfather has some news," Druella informed the teens, she too clearly waiting for the patriarch of the family to explain his reason for visiting.

"Andromeda and her fiancé will be getting married this Christmas Eve," Arcturus stated without preamble. "I know neither of you are happy with her choice, but she would like for you to be there," he added to the elder members of the family.

Druella looked to her husband almost pleadingly as the man clenched his jaw tightly and shook his head. He caught sight of the look his wife was giving him and sighed defeatedly.

"I'm not happy about it, but I can't deny you seeing our eldest getting married, and she will never forgive me if I miss it either," he finished bitterly.

"I'm not happy with her choice either, Pollux," Arcturus assured his son. "But, it is her choice, just as you chose to marry this wonderful lady here."

Pollux shook his head and smiled despite himself as he took his wife's hand.

"We will be there," he relented.

Arcturus gave his son a genuine smile and squeeze of the shoulder.

"You really are a better man than I give you credit for, my boy," he mumbled. "Thank you, it means everything to that girl and your Mother."

Pollux nodded gratefully as his father fastened his cloak, ready to depart.

"You two will be there also?" he asked the younger couple in the room.

"Of course," Harry responded.

"Good."

"Will you be available next week?" Harry questioned the older man.

"I'm sure I can be," Arcturus replied with a scratch of his chin.

"I will be in touch, there will be a meeting I should come to, all of the other families also."

Arcturus frowned, but nodded his understanding.

"I will notify them as soon as I get word from you."

"It will be at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore will be there," Harry explained further.

The left eye of the older man twitched slightly at the mention of the headmaster, but he said nothing of the man and departed with a respectful nod towards the teen.

"If anyone else where to ask Father to join a meeting with Dumbledore, he would have cursed them rotten," Pollux mused aloud as Arcturus disappeared via the floo.

"You can come too if you like, Mr Black," Harry offered.

The man grimaced in response and shook his head in distaste.

"He's more like Arcturus than I thought," the younger man quipped, causing both females to laugh at the man's expense.

"What meeting are you having?" Bellatrix asked, a hint of worry evident in her voice.

"It's strictly a political meeting, nothing to worry about," he promised. "We are just going to discuss ways to deal with his followers, legally."

"I want to be there," she insisted immediately.

"Of course," he allowed. "But before then, we have time to work on your occlumency," he pointed out.

Bellatrix sighed and nodded.

"No time like the present I guess," she murmured, but brightened up considerably as Harry took her hand and led her from the room.

"He's a good boy," Druella stated warmly.

"He's not so bad," Pollux agreed as he put an arm around his wife. "Maybe we should arrange a visit with Andromeda and actually meet the boy she is marrying," he suggested.

Druella's eyes narrowed in suspicion and Pollux shook his head slightly.

"Nothing nefarious," he promised. "But seeing what has happened to those two has put a lot of things in perspective," he continued pointing to the ceiling above them. "I don't want any kind of loose ends if anything were to happen to any of us."

Druella smiled warmly and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's the man I married," she whispered happily.

(BREAK)

It was four days after his duel with the headmaster that Harry got word from the man himself that the meeting was scheduled for that very night, something Harry was relieved to learn. He had been working tirelessly with Bellatrix on her occlumency in the evenings, and it was clear that she needed a break from their efforts. Unsurprisingly, their first foray into her mind had been difficult for both of them and an exceedingly difficult challenge for the young woman. Harry however, was very proud with how well she was handling this venture, particularly with how down the rabbit hole she had travelled. Her mindscape was nothing short of a chaotic mess, one that would take quite some time to organise and rebuild to its former state.

The progress made was not meagre. Although much of what Bellatrix had to come to terms with was nothing short of harrowing, she was managing remarkably well with the help of the young man and his guidance. There was of course still much to do, but the latter was confident they would succeed in the endeavour.

Having learnt that the impending meeting had been confirmed, Harry had sent a patronus to Arcturus to inform the man and one to the headmaster also to clarify that he would indeed be attending, there was much to discuss and to plan after all.

He was grateful that his only class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts. It meant that he could focus much of his time pondering the upcoming meeting with a relatively clear mind instead of being inundated with trivial thoughts regarding lessons that he would not be able to focus on. It also benefited him that Dorea was teaching said class, much to the delight of himself and most of his peers. Her appointment had initially been met with some trepidation, but the woman was fair to all, even those heavily under suspicion of having certain views towards some of their fellow students.

She had, from the very start, adopted a no-nonsense approach to her teaching and it was clear she would tolerate no bigotry from either side, earning the respect of those that found themselves under her tutelage, and Harry readily admitted, that she was a wealth of knowledge in the subject. Her knowledge on the Dark Arts surprised even him and she was always insistent on demonstrating any curse that was being discussed.

Harry heavily suspected she was attempting to ingrain within them all the consequences of using such magic lightly, though he doubted certain individuals would take the message to heart.

However, none of this could detract from the fact that she was a fantastic professor for the subject, and from what Harry had seen, he pitied any that would provoke her ire.

As the conclusion of the lesson drew ever nearer, the lady in question shot the young man a look, requesting that he remains behind when the class had been dismissed. He acknowledged this simply with nothing more than a slight nod and waited for the rest of the students to exit.

Once the two were alone, Dorea waved her wand and erected a powerful privacy ward and stood in front of the desk that Harry was occupying.

"This meeting tonight, are you sure it is wise to involve Albus so much?"

Harry shook his head slightly as he smiled.

"Myself and Dumbledore don't exactly share ideals or see eye to eye on a lot of things, but I think it is necessary," he sighed. "We have the same end goal and he does hold a lot of needed political influence."

Dorea nodded her understanding.

"I agree with you, Harry," she stated warmly. "But, please tread carefully, the man always has his own agenda."

The teen snorted slightly.

"I know that, but we need him politically at the moment. The Minister will at least hear him out. If I were to attempt what I'm planning alone, I would more than likely end up thrown in Azkaban just to keep me quiet."

"You know we wouldn't allow that".

Harry smiled.

"I know, but I want to ensure that nothing untoward can happen. The Minister is keeping things quiet, and if it wasn't for Moody, then none of us would be the wiser. This needs to stop and the Minister needs to take action before it is too late. It's all well and good me taking him out, but it won't solve all of the problems."

Dorea pulled the boy into a hug as the weight of his task settled on her shoulders also. It was hard to at times that Harry was only seventeen, and he had taken it upon himself to put the world to rights.

"As things are, we can only see how this meeting goes and what our next move will be. As much as I despise politics, we at the very least need to play by the rules to some degree."

Dorea nodded as she released him.

"Are you going to be bringing Bellatrix?"

"I am, she has insisted on it," he chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I'd better be going to get her."

"Well, Myself and Charlus will be there with Arcturus and I believe a few others. It will be interesting to see who Dumbledore asks to attend," she mused.

"Moody will be there, but other than that, I have no idea."

"We will just have to wait and see."

Harry gave the woman a gentle hug before leaving the retrieve Bellatrix and returning back to the school, a place the girl had yet to visit since the night she had been taken home.

"It feels strange being back here," she mumbled as they crossed the threshold of the grounds and made their way towards the castle.

"Are you okay?"

The girl gave the hand she was holding a reassuring squeeze in response.

"I never thought I would miss this place, but I do," she sighed. "I miss meeting up with you after classes are finished and spending time in our room. I just miss all of it."

"You know, you can come back whenever you feel ready to," Harry pointed out.

"I will, soon," she replied with only a hint of trepidation.

The look in her eyes was longing as the pair made their way through the corridors. Dinner was in full swing, so the halls themselves were quite empty. It was when they reached the second floor, not too far from the headmaster's office that they came across James and Lily heading towards the Great Hall.

There was only a moment of hesitation before Lily closed the gap between herself and the other girl and threw her arms around her, thanking her profusely in the process.

The move caught Bellatrix by surprise, but she returned the hug tentatively even if she was a little confused and overwhelmed by the gesture.

"Thank you," Lily whispered. "For helping us."

Bellatrix chose not to reply. She didn't do what she did for recognition or reward. She simply did what Harry would have done and what she knew was right.

James and Harry shared a knowing look. The relationship between the two had always been somewhat stiff, awkward even at times. Both were now hopeful that any kind of animosity between the two had ended, even though both were equally stubborn in their own ways.

"Are you off to see Dumbledore?" James questioned after looking around to check they were not being eavesdropped.

Harry nodded.

"Come to the common room when you are done, Peter has come up with a plan for number 9," James whispered conspiratorially.

Harry shook his head and smirked.

"What are you two whispering about?" Lily interjected, her tone laced with suspicion.

"Nothing," James denied immediately, arousing the girl's suspicion further.

Lily simply shook her head and sighed.

"Will you come and see Marlene and Alice when you are done?" she asked the other girl. "They will want to say thank you too."

Bellatrix grimaced slightly but nodded nonetheless. Both girls were from pureblood families like herself and would want to express their gratitude in a more formal and expected manner.

Lily smiled as she led James away, but not before shooting another suspicious glare between the two boys.

"A prank?" Bellatrix asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry shrugged but the mischievous glint in his eye did not go unnoticed.

"I think your father is a bad influence on you," she sighed amusedly.

The rest of the way to Dumbledore's office was unimpeded and the gargoyle sprang aside upon their approach. Bellatrix took his hand nervously as they ascended and entered the office amidst several ongoing conversations, not all of them of an amicable nature.

Charlus and Arcturus were having a heated debate with Benji Fenwick and the Longbottom Patriarch, all four men quite irritated. Dorea was sat in the corner with Alastor Moody of all people, the two seemingly having a more pleasant exchange. The Headmaster himself was talking to a redheaded man who had his back to the teens whilst also attempting to listen to another woman who was talking at him.

As he noted the arrival of the two teens, he smiled warmly at the young woman and flinched slightly as the lady talking at him, raised her voice to garner his attention.

Harry simply shook his head and drew his wand causing Bellatrix to cover her ears in preparation.

With a flick of it, a resounding cannon blast was emitted, silencing those in the throes of their respective talks.

"If this is how our government officials act when together, then no wonder the country has gone to shit," he huffed, annoyed by what he had witnessed. "How the bloody hell do you achieve anything in those Wizengamot meetings?"

Most of those in attendance had the decency to look abashed, whilst others shot a scathing glare towards the boy, Arcturus and Benji Fenwick primarily.

"Ahh, thank you for joining us Harry, and Miss Black, of course," Dumbledore greeted them, the relief he was feeling evident in his tone. "Perhaps now, we can get this meeting underway?"

When no one spoke to object, the headmaster continued.

"We are of course meeting here to discuss what steps would be most prudent to take in regard to our resident Dark Lord. The floor is open to any that has suggestions."

"Why not let the young Potter have at him, he almost got the bastard last time," Fenwick broke in.

"That is an unavoidable eventuality," Harry responded. "However, as things are, he won't face me until he is certain he can win. In the mean-time, we can't just sit on our collective arses and wait for him whilst his followers are out there doing Merlin knows what."

"I agree," the redheaded man answered.

Harry nodded his appreciation and almost balked as he recognised said man as none other than Arthur Weasley. He managed to hide his shock quickly before addressing the much younger looking man.

"Thank you, Mr Weasley."

"You know who I am?" he questioned confusedly.

"Your son Bill, looks just like you," Harry replied quickly.

The man could only smile at the mention of his eldest child.

"And I suppose that you have an idea what we should do?" Fenwick interjected.

"As a matter of fact, I do. But we need evidence and some leverage to use with the Minister," he added with a frown.

"You want to blackmail the Minister?" Dorea questioned with raised eyebrows.

Harry shook his head and laughed.

"More along the lines of forcing her to act by presenting some undeniable evidence," Harry returned. "Moody, is there anything you have that might help?"

The grizzled auror scrutinised the boy before nodding slowly.

"Aye, lad," he growled. "But not anything you could use without dropping me in it."

"What is it?" Harry prompted.

Moody shrugged.

"The usual really. Everything is quiet with us, but the muggles are still being attacked. Seems more like training exercises though. In and out before we can respond, a lot of damage and a few corpses."

"It won't be enough to get her to act," Dumbledore surmised aloud.

"Aye, there are a couple of other things," Moody continued. "Two Aurors were killed on duty three nights ago."

"How has that not been made public?" Arcturus questioned with a scowl.

"Both single men, no families and no one to miss them," Moody ground out. "They came across an attack on their patrol and were outnumbered. The Minister herself ordered it to be hushed, no talking to the press," he finished angrily.

Harry dragged a hand through his hair in thought as he pondered a way in which this could be used.

"The two Aurors, do you have access to what cases they were working on?" he asked.

"Aye," Moody confirmed with a suspicious frown.

"Then, hypothetically of course, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for someone involved in one of these cases to request a meeting with them somewhere public, say the Ministry."

After a moment, Moody's heavily scarred mouth twisted into a semblance of what could be considered a grin.

"Aye, it does happen," he confirmed.

"And maybe this person isn't keen on being in the DMLE, but would be happy to discuss things in a public setting, maybe a canteen where a conversation could be overheard by prying ears?"

Moody guffawed and clapped the teen smartly on the shoulder.

"I'm sure that can be arranged," he conceded gleefully.

"Arcturus, would it be too much effort to arrange a meeting with a journalist or two at the same time and place, to discuss how the werewolf trial is proceeding?"

The Black patriarch nodded his consent.

"Consider it done, so long as Moody can give me a time and place."

Moody nodded his agreement and rubbed his gnarled hands together in anticipation.

"How did you not end up in Slytherin?" Dorea asked, surprised by the cunning Harry was exhibiting.

"In any normal circumstances he would have been," the sorting hat shouted from the uppermost bookshelf behind Dumbledore's desk. "But for now, he is needed in Gryffindor."

Harry simply shrugged in reply whilst Arcturus, Bellatrix and Dorea smirked knowingly.

"I probably would've murdered half of them my first night," the boy muttered.

"Moving on," Dumbledore called loudly to put an end to that particular discussion, "Is there anything else you have Alastor? Or anyone else for that matter?"

"Maybe one other thing, but I'm not certain of all the details yet."

Dumbledore gave the man a nod and the Auror sighed before continuing.

"Yesterday morning, we received a report of seven murders, all young women, all killed in the same way at exactly the same time. I suspect the Dark Lord himself was involved, but we haven't been able to substantiate it yet," he explained with a shake of his head.

"That can't be a coincidence," Arthur Weasley broke in. "How were they killed?"

A look of disgust came over Moody as he grimaced in distaste.

"All showed signs of sexual assault and had their hearts cut out with an enchanted blade of some sort, whilst they were alive."

"That's not simple murder," Arcturus whispered darkly. "That's ritualistic killing."

"Nothing good can come from a ritual of that nature," Dumbledore muttered sadly.

"Is any of this in the muggle news?" Harry asked, feeling slightly sick from what he had heard.

Moody shrugged.

"They were found by the muggle police, so I expect so."

Harry nodded.

"Mr Weasley, Bill mentioned that you work in the muggle department at the ministry. Could you possibly look into this?"

The man nodded, his complexion quite green.

"Thank you. I think that will be enough to begin with and I can always put the shits up her with a few memories," he concluded thoughtfully.

"And who will be going to this meeting with the Minister?" Fenwick questioned.

Harry took a moment to consider his options before replying.

"I think myself, Dumbledore and Arcturus would work. Both have a lot of political clout and seeing them work together will also show her how serious this is."

Charlus chuckled.

"She won't believe those two can cooperate."

"It's a good idea," the headmaster mused, though he did not look particularly happy about his alliance with the darker man.

"I'm not keen on it either, Dumbledore," Arcturus grumbled. "But the idea has merit," he conceded grudgingly.

"Then we just need to make sure we have everything we need. Everyone forward everything you can to Dumbledore as soon as you can and then we can get this done," Harry instructed.

The meeting broke up quickly after that leaving Harry and Bellatrix alone with the Professor.

"Masterfully handled, Harry," the old man praised. "Are you certain you have no political aspirations?"

Harry shook his head in disgust.

"Absolutely not," he denied immediately.

Dumbledore chuckled good-naturedly.

"Miss Black, it was a pleasure to see you looking so well and I look forward to your return when you are ready," he offered sincerely.

The girl smiled weakly and the teens took that as their dismissal.

As promised, once they had left the office, they headed towards Gryffindor tower, the halls unsurprisingly empty at now late hour.

After giving the fat lady the password, they entered to find the Marauders in their usual seats with Marlene, Alice and Lily sat with them.

"This room is very gaudy," Bellatrix commented.

"We can't all live in stone dungeons, with green and silver furniture and snake motifs," Harry quipped.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at him.

"You seem awfully familiar with the Slytherin Common Room, Mr Potter".

"I may have been in there once before," he replied with a grin.

The presence of the duo was noted, and they were approached by the three Gryffindor females. Harry quickly greeted them before heading towards the Marauders, not particularly keen on being caught up in the girl's talk, the ladies themselves equally insistent on him leaving also.

"How is she doing?" Sirius questioned as Harry took a seat amongst them.

"She's getting there," he replied positively. "What have you come up with, Wormy?"

The boys spent the next hour discussing the prank and how they would go about implementing it. For that time, each forgot about the war outside the castle walls, a much-needed respite for all of them. Their conversation was still in full swing when the girls returned, all of them oblivious to their presence.

"Why does the four of them sat like that give me a bad feeling?" Marlene sighed dramatically.

"Because it's bad news," Alice chuckled. "I'm just glad Frank never involved himself with those idiots."

"Well, him turning a blind eye to their shenanigans is involvement enough from a prefect and Head Boy," Lily interjected.

"True," Alice conceded. "You have to admit, they do look cute in their little gatherings," she giggled.

"And that's the problem, that little innocent look they all have is a mockery to purity," Lily huffed lightly. "Should we break up this illicit meeting before they get an idea that will leave the school as ashes?"

"Let the children have their fun, Evans," Bellatrix suggested. "Merlin knows they need it."

"I think we should at least check what it is they are working on, just to make sure. I swear, Sirius was mumbling something about Dumbledore's beard, some Doxies and itching powder yesterday," Marlene advised.

The girl's made their way over, startling the Marauders as they became aware of them. Peter, not so subtly, attempted to remove one of the notebooks off the table without being noticed. His attempt was not a success, and before he could protest, Lily had swiped it from his grasp, leaving the boys cringing.

"Peter!" she exclaimed as she flushed bright red. "I expect this kind of filth from those two," she continued pointing to James and Sirius, "but I thought you were better than this."

The boy sputtered incoherently as Bellatrix took the offending book and raised a well-manicured eyebrow at the contents, her stare switching to Harry, who held up his hands innocently.

"But it's not mine," Peter managed to protest.

"The oldest excuse in the book," Alice returned with a smirk as she looked over Bellatrix' shoulder at what had caused such a stir.

"But it really isn't," Peter proclaimed weakly.

"Then which of these disgusting boys does it belong to, Peter?" Marlene questioned sweetly.

A stare that promised pain from James, Harry and Sirius was enough to make up his mind. He pointed a shaky digit at the remaining Marauder.

"It's Remus's," he exclaimed causing the other three boys to break down in laughter.

"You lying bastard," Remus roared furiously as the smaller of the two bolted from the room, the werewolf in hot pursuit.

"Well, since none of you will own up, you won't mind if I burn it," Marlene threatened with a glare as she drew her wand.

None of the remaining boys batted an eyelid as the book was ceremoniously torched in front of them, the lewd images within being lost permanently.

"I never knew Collings was so flexible," Alice mused as the flames died down.

"Not anymore she isn't," Marlene muttered as she vanished the ashes that remained.

"And on that note, I think it's time to get you home," Harry spoke up, hoping to put an end to the embarrassing episode by addressing his seemingly amused girlfriend.

"When are you going to come back?" Lily questioned the Slytherin girl.

Bellatrix sighed.

"I'm hoping to after Christmas," she decided. "We can get the wedding out the way first."

"You two are getting married?" Sirius yelped.

"Not us you idiot," Bellatrix huffed. "Andi and Ted."

Sirius mumbled under his breath in response as he shook his head at his own presumptive blunder.

"We will see you after Christmas then," Marlene said with a smile.

Bellatrix nodded and returned the sentiment before allowing Harry to lead her from the common room.

"How was it?" he asked.

"Just typical pureblood apologies," she shrugged. "They're not so bad, for Gryffindors," she added with a slight smirk.

The late hour ensured that they could leave the castle and grounds without interruption and Bellatrix sighed in relief as they apparated into her room.

"That's the longest I've been away from here in weeks," she pointed out happily.

"I'm proud of you," Harry praised with a smile.

He knew it was a big step for her and an even bigger one to go back to Hogwarts, even if it was only for a few hours.

"Just so you know, those pictures had nothing to do with me," he assured her seriously.

"I know," Bellatrix replied amusedly. "But just so you know, I am much more flexible than that," she whispered before placing a searing kiss on his lips.

"I think I should probably go," Harry choked as he blushed uncontrollably.

The two had and were becoming more intimate, but it still caught him off guard when she spoke to him in such a way, not that he didn't enjoy it of course.

The final sound he heard as he disapparated, was the victorious laughter of the girl, causing him to shake his head as he arrived outside the castle grounds once more, determined to have a very cold shower.

(BREAK)

Tom Marvolo Riddle looked upon his reflection, his hands reaching up to touch his now hairless head. The ritual he had completed had left him exhausted, forcing him into a sleep that had lasted more than 24 hours.

He noticed immediately that something had changed, and looking in the mirror, that change could not be more obvious. He still maintained his natural good looks, they were now however hairless, a change he was not happy with.

"It had better be worth it," he growled angrily.

He had tried everything to remedy the issue. The Hair growth potion had done nothing to alleviate his condition and glamour's just would not form.

Along with the negatives, he could also already feel the positives and was certain it was a step in the right direction to becoming as powerful as he possibly could be. It had been his stamina that had let him down before, but that was no longer an issue, this ritual had seen to that.

His energy levels had never felt so high. He felt as though he could duel forever and not even become short of breath.

He almost felt ready. Almost, but not quite. There were still other things that he needed to do before he would face his newly discovered nemesis for the second and last time.

(BREAK)

The first indication that his plan was coming to fruition appeared a few days after the meeting in the form of an article in the Daily Prophet, confirming the deaths of the two Aurors whilst on patrol. The article itself was scathing towards the Minister and her administration and the woman did not help herself by refusing an interview with the reporting journalist, leading to the speculative piece that followed.

According to said journalist, they had overheard a conversation between a senior member of the DMLE and a witness they were currently working with. The witness had come to the Ministry to discuss the case, only to be informed that the Aurors assigned to it were not available, but another member of staff would be along shortly to assist them. The witness had insisted on only speaking to those that were dealing directly with them, leading to the revelation about their fate.

The journalist had followed up with the witness, who wished to remain anonymous, and confirmed their words. From there, they had attempted to discuss the matter further with the DMLE and the Minister but was blocked at every turn.

Not only had the journalist brought this to the public attention, it appeared that they had also taken the rejection personally as they had openly questioned what else the Minister could be hiding.

Harry smirked inwardly as he read the paper that morning and offered silent praise to both Moody and Arcturus who had orchestrated the plan perfectly.

The Headmaster acknowledged the success with a respectful nod towards the teen as he himself perused the morning paper, his eyes twinkling in their usual way.

It was that very evening whilst Harry was with Bellatrix that Fawkes appeared in the room and delivered the anticipated note from the man confirming that the meeting with the Minister would take place in two day's time, giving Harry enough notice to inform Arcturus and plan what needed to be discussed accordingly.

He knew he had to tread carefully with the woman, but he equally needed a show of strength. It would not do for her to feel that himself, Dumbledore and Arcturus were attempting a coup when all they needed was her to do her job. Although Harry didn't believe she was as incompetent as Fudge, she certainly was not being as proactive as she could be, not publicly at least and that was truly what mattered as things were progressing.

"It's in two days," Harry confirmed to Bellatrix, who had been waiting for him to speak since the arrival of the phoenix.

The girl simply nodded and gave him a tight hug. She knew how important this meeting was to all involved and would dictate how Harry would act next. She was well aware of the fact, that regardless of the outcome, Harry would do all he could to end the monster.

It would just be made that much easier if the Minister cooperated and even offered assistance.

(BREAK)

Andromeda Black had been fretting all day about the upcoming dinner with her parents, to the point that she wanted to call the whole thing off to put an end to her stress. Ted, the ever-loving, jovial boy that he was, had managed to convince her that it would be a good idea to at least try to build bridges with them.

Andromeda did not agree.

She did not see how her parents, both openly against muggleborns, could ever accept her decision to be with the father of her unborn child. And that was the only choice they had if they wished to be a part of her and their granddaughter's life. There would be no compromise.

She had made all of the preparations the night before so that she wouldn't be run ragged for this evening and could be on full alert. She certainly wouldn't put it past her father to attempt to curse Ted the first opportunity that arose.

She sighed as she sat at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of tea in one hand whilst the other absentmindedly stroked her swollen belly. Ted was currently at work and she had nothing left to do until it was time to get ready for her parents arrival. The house had already been cleaned from top to bottom, the food was cooking, and this left the woman at a loose end.

She quickly decided, that instead of sitting and worrying, that she would have a long soak in the bath in the hope that it would alleviate some of the tension that was plaguing her.

Unexpectedly, Ted arrived home much earlier than usual and that was where he found her; in the bath, up to her neck in bubbles with relaxing music playing on the radio.

"How are my two girls doing?" he asked warmly as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

Andromeda rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the smile forming that came when she saw the man.

"We don't even know if the baby will be a girl yet, Ted," she chided.

"She's definitely a girl," the man declared confidently, "and she will be just as beautiful as her mother."

Andromeda snorted as she shook her head.

"I'm a fat, swollen and gassy mess. My ankles are swollen, and I look like a graphorn," she huffed irritably.

Ted smirked and placed another kiss on her cheek.

"Then you are the most radiant graphorn in the land," he declared cheekily.

Andromeda mumbled under her breath incoherently. She had become more insecure in herself the further her pregnancy had progressed, though Ted insisted that it didn't change anything about his feelings towards her except the fact that he loved her more for it.

She smiled at that thought and pulled the boy in for a gentle kiss.

"You're lucky I love you, Tonks," she growled playfully. "Nobody else would get away with calling me a graphorn."

"Believe me, Miss Black, I know how lucky I am," he replied seriously.

"What are you doing home so early anyway?" the woman questioned.

"Well, I told old Ogden about out dinner guests tonight and he gave me the afternoon off," he explained whilst rubbing the back of his neck. "He said that he's experienced the Blacks and said I would need to be on top form."

Andromeda laughed heartily.

"We're not all that bad, Theodore," she cooed.

"No," he agreed. "I did explain that I live with one, so I was quite accustomed to the devilry," he quipped before making a hasty retreat.

Andromeda growled irritably.

"You'll pay for that one, Ted," she called after him.

"I know," she heard him reply and she narrowed her eyes at the amused lilt in his voice.

With her peace disturbed by her soon to be husband, the thought of remaining in the bath no longer appeal to the woman. With a little effort, she manged to heave herself out of it, cursing under her breath at the newfound difficulty of such a common action.

"I can't wait until you come out of there," she mumbled as she stroked her belly once more.

The baby gave a slight jump, startling the woman and causing her to chuckle.

"I bet you'll be as mischievous as your father," she sighed happily as she wrapped a towel around herself and entered the bedroom to find Ted pondering his outfit for the evening.

"I heard you muttering about me in there," he informed her, his eyes not leaving to two shirts he was seemingly deciding between. "You're not already trying to alienate my daughter against me, are you?" he asked lightly.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow at the man and kissed him on the cheek.

"I like the blue one," she declared as she relieved him of one of the shirts and placed it back in the wardrobe. "And I would never do such a thing," she added innocently.

Ted mock sighed and suddenly pulled her to him, eliciting a squeal from the woman.

"I'm going to be in a house with two females, Blacks at that," he grumbled humouredly. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Andromeda smiled and shook her head.

"What makes you so sure it's a girl?"

"I just…know," Ted shrugged. "And besides, if she is like me, that's not such a bad thing, is it?"

Andromeda shook her head and smiled brightly.

"You are the most wonderful man I know, Theodore. And if our child is anything like you, then I would be ecstatic," she answered sincerely.

"Well, she definitely won't look like me," he chuckled.

"How do you know that?" Andromeda returned with a frown.

"She will look like you, all of the Black's look similar no matter who the parents are. Take you for example, you take after your Grandmother more than your own mother. Those Black genes are powerful," he finished with a barking laugh.

"Genes?" Andromeda questioned, clearly lost.

"It's a muggle thing," Ted chuckled in reply. "We should get dressed though, they will be here soon."

Andromeda nodded and bit her lip nervously.

"Hey," Ted comforted. "The worst-case scenario is that we are back where we are now when the night ends. No matter what happens, nothing has to change if you don't want it to."

Andromeda nodded and smiled gratefully.

That was one of the things she loved about the an. He could always tell how she was feeling and always knew what to say or do to make her feel better.

Their last moments of peaceful bliss came to an end much quicker than the woman was ready for and they found themselves awaiting the arrival of her parents in the kitchen. After ensuring that the food was being cooked and that any and all refreshments were ready for the umpteenth time, the doorbell finally rang, signalling the arrival of their guests.

"Remember, worst thing is that everything stays the same," Ted reminded her gently before placing a kiss on her cheek.

Andromeda opened the front door and, as expected, was met by the sight of her parents, both dressed for the occasion, her father his usual composed self, and her mother smiling nervously.

"Mother, Father," she greeted them stiffly.

"Andromeda," Pollux reply similarly, with a follow up nod.

"Hello, Andi," Druella said warmly, her eyes watery. "We brought you this," she added, offering her daughter a bottle of red wine.

"Thank you," she responded, still on guard. "Please, come in. Dinner will be ready soon," she explained as she stepped to the side and allowed the pair into her home.

"I must say, this is a very nice house you have here, isn't it Pollux?" Druella prompted her husband by nudging him with her elbow.

"It is," he agreed genuinely.

He had expected his daughter to be shacked up in a muggle hovel with her intended. This however, was a pleasant surprise to the man.

"Theodore must work hard to keep a roof like this over your heads," Druella mused aloud.

She too was surprised by the quality of the house and the location. It was situated in a quiet village just a short way from East Midlands. The neighbourhood was undoubtedly a mix of wizards and muggles, but it was difficult for the woman to find anything to be critical of other than this.

The house itself was not large by any means and it gave off a welcoming, homely feel. The furnishings were of a high standard and it was tastefully decorated in neutral tones and colours. The floor was solid oak and the furniture itself was similar.

"The house was a gift from Grandfather, but yes, Ted works very hard for what we have and everything you see here, is his work," she added proudly.

"Well, it looks fantastic," Druella offered as she removed her jacket.

Andromeda took the garment and hung it on the coat rack by the front door before leading her parents into the kitchen where Ted was waiting. The young man stood, his demeanour polite but wary.

"Hello, Mr and Mrs Black," he greeted with a smile.

"Mr Tonks," Druella acknowledged formally, her features shifting as though an unpleasant smell had filled her nostrils.

"Tonks," Pollux followed, his face devoid of any emotion.

"Could I get either of you something to drink?" Ted questioned when it appeared that Andromeda was going to scold her parents for their attitude towards him.

"A Gillywater would be acceptable," Pollux confirmed.

Druella simply nodded her agreement.

Once the refreshments had been provided and Andromeda had retrieved the food, the foursome sat at the table and began eating, a very tense and awkward silence permeating throughout the room. After several minutes of this, Druella coughed slightly before addressing the younger man.

"I hear that you are training to be a solicitor, Mr Tonks," she stated a hint of interest.

Ted nodded and took a sip of his orange juice.

"I am," he confirmed. "Mr Ogden has been very good to me."

"Donovan Ogden?" Pollux interjected, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"The very same," Ted answered.

The older man nodded appreciatively.

"You must have impressed him considerably for him to take you on as an apprentice," he mused thoughtfully.

Andromeda frowned deeply, not happy with what her father seemed to be insinuating.

"Because he is a muggleborn?" She questioned sharply, not allowing her father to reply before continuing. "Ted graduated Hogwarts with 7 Outstanding NEWTS and can speak 3 additional languages, Ogden is lucky to have him," she finished primly.

Pollux shook his head.

"I was not referring to the fact that the boy is a mud… muggleborn. But now that you have, yes, it is surprising. The Ogden's' are a very old, pureblood family who would only accept the best. If anything, it makes his achievement stand out further. I don't believe there has ever been a time where Donovan Ogden did not take on a pureblood," he returned defensively.

Andromeda gritted her teeth at the near slip and Ted discreetly took his hand in hers under the table. He did not expect any praise, or even respect from the Blacks. This, he knew, would be the closest he would ever come to a direct compliment.

"Well either way, it seems that you have a promising career, Mr Tonks," Druella broke in diplomatically.

Once again, the room became silent whilst each consumed their meal. Pollux appeared to be in thought whilst Druella shot the occasional, almost long look towards her daughter that did not go unnoticed the younger of the men.

"How is the pregnancy going?" she asked nervously, not wanting to provoke a fiery retort from her riled daughter.

The girl's eyes narrowed.

"Apart from the fact it takes me ten minutes to get out of bed, my back and ankles are constantly sore, and I have to go to the toilet about fifty times a day, it's marvellous," she bit back sarcastically.

Druella snorted slightly.

"I remember those days," she said fondly. "You were by far the most difficult pregnancy."

"Me?" Andromeda asked disbelievingly. "I thought Cissy would have been worse."

Druella shook her head and chuckled.

"Oh no," She denied. "I would have been better off moving into the bathroom for the duration for the amount of time I spent in there throwing up and using the toilet with you."

Both Ted and Pollux grimaced at the nature of the conversation and the elder decided it was not one he wanted to be a part if.

"Mr Tonks, why don't you show me around whilst these two discuss the finer and more gruesome points of child bearing?"

Ted nodded enthusiastically. He would sooner spend time with the man alone than be present for the conversation that was sure to come.

Andromeda shot him a worried look and he gave her a reassuring smile before leading his future father-in-law out of the kitchen.

"Nothing good will come from listening to that talk," Pollux grumbled. "I've lived through it three times now and it never gets any easier."

Ted shook his head in amusement. He had been going to parenting classes with Andromeda in the evenings twice a week and had a fairly good idea on what to expect.

"I'm sure it was all worth it, you did end up with three excellent daughters," he offered sincerely.

"I did, but I had very little to do with that. You can thank my wife for how they turned out. She raised them, taught them and have been there for all three. I took a backseat with the parenting thing," he explained with a shake of his head.

"Be that as it may, there is a lot of you in Andromeda," Ted countered. "She is very headstrong, very proud and more than anything, her family means everything to her."

Pollux frowned at the boy before replying.

"I don't think I will ever be fond of you, Mr Tonks even though it is no fault of your own. I was raised to believe myself better than your kind and I firmly stand by that. However, that woman down there means everything to me and my daughters also. For the sake of them, I am willing to be civil."

Ted nodded thoughtfully.

"That is all that I ask, Andromeda misses you all. It doesn't matter to me if you like me or not, I don't expect there will ever be any fondness between us, our views differ far too much. But we are going to be married and we do have a child on the way and I know that Andromeda is terrified. No matter what I do, I am not her mother and I can't fill that void. I am willing to be civil for her," he finished genuinely.

Pollux nodded gratefully as Ted gestured to him to ascend the stairs first.

"You have earnt my respect for that, Mr Tonks," he conceded. "Many your age would not be handling this as well as you, and may would have fled had they found themselves in your position."

Ted chuckled.

"I have to hold it together for Andi. I'm scared about it all, but I owe it to her to be strong. I love her more than I could ever show her. Most people were even terrified to talk to her because of your family reputation and when we were paired together by Mortlake, I wasn't much better," he explained, amused by his own pre-emptive impression of the girl. "She proved me wrong, and I fell for her," he shrugged.

He opened the far door along the landing and waved his wand, creating a gentle light within before allowing the older man to enter first.

Pollux entered to find himself in a child's nursery complete with all of the needed items to bring a baby in to the world.

"I will be changing the colour scheme when the baby arrives," Ted explained.

Pollux nodded approvingly.

"I am pleased to see that you are taking this very seriously, Mr Tonks. I do however, have a couple of concerns," he continued with a deep frown.

"What concerns?" Ted asked confusedly.

"Firstly, I don't feel any wards here. Surely, you have something in place to protect your family?"

Ted nodded and waved his wand once more and Pollux shuddered slightly as the powerful magic washed over him.

"Harry came when we first moved in and taught me how to cast and control them," he explained.

Pollux only gave a grunt of approval.

"And the wedding, how are you paying for it?"

Ted rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"We decided that we would keep it simple," he explained. "With the baby on the way, we want to ensure we have everything needed."

Pollux nodded his understanding.

"That just won't do," he muttered. "Druella won't be happy with that and I will not have the Black name tarnished further with people thinking that we are cheap. Despite everything else, the family name has to be upheld," he declared sternly.

He removed a slip of parchment and a regal quill from his robes. He scratched away for a moment before waving his wand over it before handing it to the boy.

Ted's eyebrows rose comically as he read the missive.

"That is a lot of money, Mr Black, I can't take it."

"You can, and you will," Pollux insisted firmly. "My wife will have my hide if I allow Andromeda anything but the best."

Ted accepted the parchment with a grateful nod.

"Think of it as our contribution," Pollux shrugged. "Now, perhaps we should consider joining them once more. I just hope the conversation has moved on to a much more palatable subject."

The two left the nursery with Ted sighing within. Pollux reminded him very much of the Lord Black in many ways and he could not help but feel the same way he did as he conversed with the other man in his home. He wouldn't change anything he had for the world, but he could not deny that the Blacks were a very intimidating bunch.

They entered the kitchen, eliciting a relieved smile from the younger of the women, the elder still in full swing of discussing her experiences with her children.

"Bella was a lazy baby, in and out of the womb," she laughed. "For the first 7 months, all she did was eat and sleep."

"She still needs her sleep now," Andromeda replied. "She's a monster if you wake her up."

Druella laughed again.

"I feel sorry for Harry," she muttered. "He has no idea what he's getting himself into there."

Andromeda giggled at the unknowing boys' misfortune.

"You're not exactly a delight some mornings," Ted interrupted.

"They all get it from their father," Druella chimed in. "It must be a Black trait."

Andromeda shot Ted a glare and folded her arms, not at all amused by his input.

"I think you will find, Theodore, that being pregnant will leave most people out of sorts," she ground out.

Ted held up his hands placatingly.

"Of course," he agreed diplomatically.

Andromeda narrowed her eyes at him and the man smiled innocently in response.

"I think that it is time for us to be off," Pollux announced as he checked his watch.

Druella could not hide her disappointment as another longing look towards her daughter formed.

"I'm sure Andromeda will appreciate some help with her wedding planning," the older man stated nonchalantly. "There isn't much time until the big day after all."

"The wedding is arranged already," Andromeda replied.

"The plans have changed," Pollux replied dismissively. "I will leave it up to Theodore to explain that."

Ted could only shrug apologetically towards his soon to be wife.

"And, I don't believe Andromeda will be averse to you stopping in from time to time, I'm sure she would be grateful for any help with baby related things," the older man added.

Druella looked to her daughter hopefully and she positively beamed when she received an agreeable smile.

The two men said nothing more to each other but exchanged a respectful nod. Neither expected much if anything to ever develop between them. What they had both made clear however, was that each cared for the women in their lives and they would both exercise civility for the sake of them and this had given both females a chance to reconnect and have the mother/daughter bond they both deserved.

It was by no means perfect for either man, but they had each found one common thing in which they could respect the other for.

(BREAK)

For Harry, the impending meeting with the Minister was crucial and would determine his next course of action in dealing with Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was aware that the approach he had opted for with the Minister was not ideal and underhanded even, but he felt he no longer had any choice in the matter. The woman seemed to have adopted the same approach Fudge had and was seemingly burying her head in the sand when it came to the Dark Lord, and to Harry, that was unacceptable. Something had to be done and the Ministry needed to be the ones to start taking a more active role.

He had no doubt that killing Tom would solve much of the issue, but, and as much as he despised it, there were certain legalese that needed to be adhered to in order for him to emerge from this victorious and without the fear of judicial reprisals and Millicent Bagnold was his best hope in achieving this.

He had spent the morning going over what it was he would say to the woman and what other options he had to ensure she would have to take action. He was attempting to remain positive and anticipated a beneficial and mutual relationship with her but was prepared to force her hand if necessary. He disliked politics and politicians, mostly due to his experiences of bureaucratic corruption, but he could no longer avoid the necessary evil and realised some time ago that it would likely be a detrimental factor in ending the Dark Lord.

When he had first arrived, he had been under the false impression that his task would be simple and killing Tom was all it would take. In reality, his task had become much more. Upon his arrival, it mattered not whether or not he survived the task he had been given, but things had changed. Friendships had developed, he now had the family he had always desired and there was Bellatrix also, whom he now held above all of those things. He wasn't ready for any of it to end, yet, his task still remained, and he could not allow any other to complete it on his behalf. It had to be him, be it by the grace of fate or his own morality, it just had to be and if he had to make a deal with devil himself, he would do just that to ensure he could walk away once it was all over.

Close to the appointed time, he left the castle and apparated to the main entrance to the Ministry of Magic where he would meet Arcturus and Dumbledore in the atrium. The latter was already waiting for him and the former joined before any significant greeting could take place between the two.

Silently, they made their way towards the golden-gated elevators, the odd trio of people garnering more than a little attention. Whispered conversations ensued but were summarily ignored by them. They were not here to be attentive to idle chat nor speculation. Their appointment was with the Minister herself and nothing short of Voldemort himself waltzing into the building would sway their path or focus.

"We are here to see the Minister," Arcturus declared without preamble when they arrived outside her office.

"The Minister is very busy, you will have to make an appointment," a horribly familiar voice to Harry to simpered, the woman not even showing the courtesy of looking up from her work.

"I think you will find Dolores, we do in fact have an appointment," Dumbledore stated.

The sound of the Headmaster's voice was enough for the piggish woman's eyes to snap up and widen upon seeing who she was being addressed by. Her chubby face flushed red and her temple began pulsating before she took a visible breath and composed herself.

"Of course, Chief Warlock," she complied sweetly as she left to announce their arrival.

"Fucking hag," Harry spat.

"You are familiar with Ms Umbridge?" Dumbledore questioned.

"You could say that," Harry grumbled. "She had me writing lines with a blood quill and used the Cruciatus Curse on me."

Dumbledore shook his head sadly.

"She was never a very promising individual," he sighed.

Harry shrugged.

"I got her back," he chuckled darkly. "Last thing I heard of her she was in St Mungo's for mental trauma."

Arcturus chortled happily, and Dumbledore again shook his head.

"The Minister will see you now, Gentlemen," Umbridge called.

The trio entered the office and Harry sneered at the woman as they passed, his eyes trying to convey the loathing he held for her. The moment she met his, she looked away as a shiver ran down her spine.

"I think I will take an early lunch," she mumbled as she left the vicinity, walking considerably quicker than she usually would.

(BREAK)

"What can I do for you today?" Bagnold questioned once the door had been closed and the three men had taken a seat opposite her.

All three could not help how tired the woman appeared to be. The bags under her eyes were heavy and she seemed to have aged ten years since the last time Harry had seen her. Her hair, though styled, seemed lank and lifeless and she had clearly lost quite a lot of weight.

"Madam Minister, we wanted to discuss certain things with you pertaining to the Dark Lord," Dumbledore began, his gaze steadily taking in the woman's appearance and demeanour.

Bagnold sighed in response as she removed her glasses and rubbed her face tiredly.

"I thought you might," she huffed. "And what is it you would like to discuss?"

"Firstly, what the hell is being done about him and his sycophants?" Arcturus interjected irritably.

The Minister narrowed her eyes at the man before considering her answer.

"Well, Lord Black, what would you have me do?" she returned angrily.

Arcturus shook his head and gestured to Dumbledore to hand something over.

"Something about this for a start," he fired back as he slammed a collection of Muggle newspapers on her desk, each one depicting the crimes of Voldemort and his followers committed in their world.

The Minister took a deep breath as her nostrils flared in fury.

"Let me remind you all of something first of all," she growled. "I am the Minister of Magic. My job comes with no political allies nor faction. I am very aware of what is happening out there, and I am doing all I can with the resources I have available to put an end to this mess."

"No offense, Minister, but it doesn't look like you're doing much, if anything," Harry responded.

The woman's glare turned to him and she shook her head.

"Put yourself in my position, Potter, what would you do?" she returned scathingly.

"Whatever it took to put an end to this," Harry bit back.

Bagnold chuckled.

"I don't think you understand my position," she muttered. "As the Minister, it is my job to remain neutral politically. If I am seen to show favouritism towards and faction, regardless of the nature of these people, then I will be out of this office before I can say quidditch. To act on anything, I need to have firm and irrefutable evidence of perpetrators, their crimes and everything associated with said crimes," she explained.

"The bloody crimes are right in front of you," Harry snapped, pointing to the array of articles.

The Minister slammed her hand on her desk sharply, her eyes burning with frustration.

"I can see that, boy," she growled.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before speaking once more.

"There is much I have to consider before I can take action, it is not as simple as you believe," she sighed defeatedly. "Do not believe for one second that I am content to allow this travesty to continue. Don't you dare come in here and accuse me of inaction. Everything that I can do is being done and my position is already compromised because of what has been found. My tenure as Minister will come to an end as soon as everything comes to light, but there are things that need to be done before I can allow that to happen."

"What do you mean, Millicent?" Dumbledore probed gently.

"I am no fool, Albus. I have a very good idea who it is supporting this mad man and they are very well protected by their titles. People I have long associated with and some I suspect employed in this very building. The moment their crimes are made public, I will be forced to abdicate my position."

"Abraxus Malfoy," Arcturus stated knowingly.

Bagnold nodded.

"Among others," she replied. "You both know as well as I do how difficult it is to prosecute any member of the Ancient and Noble Houses, and many of them are up to their eyeballs in this mess. A few muggle deaths won't garner enough sympathy to pursue anything against them and a few Galleons here and there can make it all just a distant memory."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"So, what is it you are doing exactly?" he asked, his irritability now abated.

"With how things are, I'm sure you can understand why I can't say."

Harry nodded once more.

"I only want him gone and those bastards following him to get what they deserve."

Bagnold smiled at him weakly.

"I have people, independent of the Ministry working on this, and I can assure you, they are the best we have available," she replied cryptically.

"The Greycloaks," Harry responded knowingly.

Bagnold frowned.

"I can neither confirm nor deny such a thing," she answered diplomatically.

Harry frowned slightly.

"Do you have a pensieve, Minister? I believe there are a couple of things you and those you are working with should see."

"Not here I don't," she informed him. "What is the nature of the memories?"

"My first meeting with him when he tried to recruit me."

"And the other?"

Harry looked towards Dumbledore who nodded his approval.

"A second meeting that ended with us having a duel."

The Ministers eyes widened slightly.

"They could be very useful," she mused aloud.

"More useful than you know, Millicent," Dumbledore assured her.

The woman nodded and stood before pacing back and forth behind her desk.

"Okay," she sighed a little hesitantly. "Can I be candid with you, Potter?"

Harry nodded warily.

"I'm very interested in you," she stated plainly. "Ever since you arrived here, you have been at the centre of this whole thing and that, I find very curious. The Dementor attack in Diagon Ally, the Hogsmeade attack, the fact that this man has attempted to recruit you and now you reveal you have duelled him. Do not try to deny it, Potter. I have verified witness accounts to most of the above," she warned. "That is a lot of coincidences if you ask me. So, what is your part in all of this? One could be suspicious enough to say that you yourself are the Dark Lord. You certainly are gifted enough from what I have heard."

The woman was met with three equal looks of disbelief and she shook her head in amusement.

"No, that's not it," she said to herself. "But there is something," she added knowingly.

"If you view the memories I offered, then you will have most of your questions answered," Harry replied sagely. "I have researched him, I know more about him than any."

Bagnold shook her head.

"And how is it you came upon such information when my team has been unable to identify him?"

Harry chuckled.

"I recognised him the moment I met him," he shrugged. "His picture is in the trophy room at Hogwarts. He was a student there around thirty years ago."

"That is vital information, Potter," Bagnold said urgently. "Information we need," she admitted.

Harry leaned back in his chair casually as he saw an opening for an opportunity.

"There is a lot more assistance I can offer than just that trivial piece of information."

The Minister again narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you want?" she ground out.

"To help," Harry answered honestly. "You just tell me what you need help with and I will provide it."

"What's the catch?"

Harry smirked.

"All I want is immunity from prosecution. Once I have explained everything, you will see why."

Bagnold laughed openly and shook her head.

"Immunity from what?"

"Killing him," Harry replied casually.

"You want to kill him?" Bagnold questioned with wide eyes.

Harry nodded.

"It is the only way to end this," he assured her.

The Minister sank back into her chair, finding it difficult to believe that she was having such a conversation.

"You need my help, Minister," Harry broke in, interrupting her thoughts. "You said yourself there a very few you can trust and if any of this goes tits up, then it will all come back to you."

"That is why I am using the team I have. There will be no backlash on me for what they do."

Arcturus let out a bark of laughter.

"I wouldn't be so sure Minister," he warned. "They may not be part of the Ministry, but their involvement will be seen for exactly what it is."

"Whereas, I have no ties to the Ministry, I'm not even heir to the Potter title," Harry pointed out. "You yourself said it is difficult to prosecute members of the Ancient House, why not use that to your advantage?"

Bagnold shook her head tiredly.

"We need to pull together," the teen continued. "If we can help each other end this, then isn't that what we should do? We should at least share what knowledge we have and then if you prefer, we can go our separate ways. You said yourself that I am already involved, and those memories will prove that I oppose the man more than any."

The Minister took a moment before conceding the point with a nod.

"Alright Potter," she sighed. "You have a provisional agreement, solely dependent on how helpful your knowledge proves to be."

"Fair enough," the boy shrugged. "How do we proceed from here?"

Bagnold took a moment to consider what the next step should be. She knew she needed to see the aforementioned memories, but she had to consult with those she was working with first of all, to gain their approval.

"Would you be averse to meeting a colleague of mine, alone?" she questioned as she glanced towards both Arcturus and Dumbledore respectively. "Nothing personal, but as members of the Wizengamot, you cannot be involved in this, not if you want to be part of the prosecution," she added apologetically.

Dumbledore bowed his head in acknowledgement and himself and Arcturus exited after Harry assured them both he would be fine with a nod.

"I hope for your sake, what you have is as valuable as you say, Potter," Bagnold deadpanned as she approached the fireplace. "These people will deal with you accordingly if necessary."

She took a handful of floo powder from the pot on the mantle and threw it in the flames, turning them an emerald green.

"Could you join me in my office, please?" she questioned when her call had been accepted.

There was no audible reply received but the flames reverted back to their normal state and the Minister took her seat once more and waited. The pair waited in silence for a few moments before the flames flared green and a figure in a grey cloak emerged.

The unseen eyes glanced between Harry and Bagnold as they drew their wand and began walking around the room, casting a series of detection charms. When they were satisfied the wand disappeared up their sleeve and the person stood and waited for the Minister to address them.

"Thank you for joining us," Bagnold began. "Mr Potter here believes he is able to assist us in our endeavours."

The hooded figure seemingly turned to glance at the teen before jerking their head towards the corner of the room, gesturing for Bagnold to join them. The woman complied and the Unspeakable erected a powerful privacy dome around them. Harry could see they were conversing, but he was not able to decipher what was being said by reading the lips of the Minister.

It was five frustrating minutes later that the spell was ended, and they re-joined him.

"Alright Potter," a gravelly voice sounded from within the hood. "What is it you know that can help us?"

Harry looked towards Bagnold before raising an eyebrow.

"My request?"

"If I deem it at all necessary and you can prove such necessity, then you have my word as Minister that you will have your immunity for whatever steps you may take to end this," she offered sincerely.

"I want it in writing as soon as it is agreed," Harry responded severely.

The Minister nodded her agreement.

"I guess a good place to start would be who it is we are dealing with," he offered.

"It would," the unspeakable concurred.

Harry sighed knowing that he was taking a leap of faith by working with the Ministry, but it was certainly his best option if he wanted to avoid any possible unpleasantness that could follow.

"His name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, Heir of Slytherin. He is the son of Merope Gaunt and a Muggle that shares his name."

"And how did you come upon this information?" the unspeakable questioned suspiciously.

"I met him Boxing Day, 1976," he confirmed truthfully. "I recognised him from a picture in the Hogwarts trophy room. He was given an award for special services to the school in 1942."

Although not the entire truth, it was no lie. He certainly was not going to divulge the fact that he had been sent here from another time. That would only result in far too many questions and probably him being taken by the Department of Mysteries and maybe even Azkaban.

"Impressive," the now obviously male praised. "And how is it you came to meet him?"

Harry sighed.

"I am happy to provide the memory of the event, if you return the favour and share some information with me," he offered.

The unspeakable glanced towards the Minister, who nodded her consent.

"What do you wish to know?"

"How far are you from being able to move on him and his followers?"

"Not as close as we would like to be," the man grumbled unhappily. "We are trying to decipher that blasted mark he's burnt into the arms of his people. We've had the two boys arrested for attacking those girls at the school and no luck. Anytime we try to even cast a spell on the mark it vanishes and veritaserum has proven ineffective on them," he finished with a huff of frustration.

Harry had a very good idea why that was happening. Tom was no fool and he would have taken steps to keep his followers from talking and he without doubt would not be keen on his mark being studied or tampered with.

"He's the Heir of Slytherin," Harry stated pointedly. "He's a Parselmouth."

The unspeakable cursed under his breath at the realisation.

"So, we need a parselmouth to get anywhere," he growled unhappily.

"I suppose you would," the teen shrugged amusedly, pleased with how the situation was working in his favour.

"Well, I will just pull one out of thin air, then shall I?" the unspeakable snarked.

Harry snorted and shook his head.

"What do you plan on doing once you have analysed it?" he asked.

"It is our hope that we can get intel to build our case against any that carry it," Bagnold entered the conversation. "From there, we can attempt to pass legislation to deem it illegal to carry such a mark."

Harry nodded agreeably as another plan formed in his mind.

"You will never get that legislation passed with most of his people in the Wizengamot and most of the neutrals won't go for it either," he mused. "But there may be around that," he added with a grin.

"How?" Bagnold queried.

"Once we learn the nature of the mark and what being a recipient of it entails, you do a sweep of the Ministry, that is certainly within your remit," he assured the woman unnecessarily. "With the information you gather from that, then you will not only have enough evidence to convince the neutrals but put certain restrictions in place internally. I imagine a ban from anyone branded with the mark Ministry-wide would suffice. Anyone entering the building could be subject to a screening process. From there you can put your evidence forward with the Wizengamot and have the necessary laws passed," he finished with a shrug, slightly surprised by the credibility of his own idea.

He of course had more than an idea of what it took to earn the mark. He just needed these people to learn of it without him having to tip his hand too much.

Bagnold hummed as she frowned, pondering the merit of the idea the teen had shared. Finally, she shook her head and chuckled.

"I think that could work," she muttered, impressed by the Potter boy. "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of you on the political field."

Harry laughed.

"There's no danger there. I have no political aspirations and my brother is the heir of the family, thank merlin," he finished with a mumble.

"There is still the problem of not being able to examine that bloody mark," the unspeakable interjected harshly.

"We don't have any parselmouths in England that I know of other than this Dark Lord," Bagnold whispered defeatedly. "And we couldn't trust them even if we did."

"I'm a parselmouth," Harry replied with a shrug.

The Minister's eyes widened comically as the unspeakable scoffed in disbelief.

"And where did you get that ability?" he demanded roughly.

"The Black's married into the Slytherin line centuries ago. It seems that I inherited it from there."

There was a brief, silent pause before the unspeakable erupted into uncontrollable laughter.

"You've been here for twenty minutes and have solved more problems in twenty minutes than myself and my team have in three months," he explained when he had managed to control himself. "The question is however; can you actually do what you say you can with the mark."

Harry took a deep breath as he dragged a hand through his hair. He was not about to underestimate Tom's work on the mark, but he was certain he could do it.

"I can't guarantee it, but I'm the best option you have."

The greycloak nodded slowly in agreement.

"It's better than what we have now," he sighed. "What about these memories you mentioned earlier, do you think they are vital?"

Harry nodded.

"In the first one, he openly discusses his intentions and I can assure you, they are not good. He's already making moves to achieve his goals as you can see," he finished, pointing at the articles on the desk once more.

"That's a damn good insight," the man declared. "And the second?"

"That one will show you how dangerous he is and why you need me for the most part."

"Why we need you?" the unspeakable chuckled. "Potter, the people I have at my disposal are the best there is. I can assure you we won't need you for anything other than the help you have offered."

Harry simply shrugged irritably.

"I wouldn't be so sure until you have seen the memory," he advised coldly, his eyes glowing slightly at arrogance of the man.

"Then why don't we have a look at them now?" the man returned equally miffed.

"Do you have a pensieve? I won't be letting you enter my mind, that's for sure," he said firmly, remembering both Croaker and Filmore doing just that in their first meeting.

The man simply stood and walked towards the fireplace.

"Will you be joining us, Minister?" he asked as he threw in a handful of powder.

The woman joined the man with Harry and waited for the unspeakable to lead the way.

"Wait for thirty seconds after I'm gone, then follow," he instructed. "If you don't, there will be nothing to send back to your family," he warned.

With that said, the man disappeared in the flames which remained their customary green of an active fireplace.

"After you, Potter," the Minister offered after the half minute had elapsed.

Harry stepped into the flames and emerged into an unfamiliar office. The Minister followed only a moment later and the two were immediately led from the office into a larger room where eight other people swathed in grey cloaks were sat around a large table, where at one end, sat a large board, the Dark Mark displayed in the centre with various pieces of parchment surrounding it.

"Take a seat," the man that had accompanied them offered as he sat at the opposite end to the board.

Harry could feel the gazes of the others in the room directed at him from beneath their hoods and he smiled inwardly at the memories being here evoked.

"Now, I have just had a very interesting meeting with the Minister and Mr Potter here," the man announced. "I am sure you are aware of who he is; Youngest duellist to represent us etcetera, etcetera," he added somewhat mockingly.

There was a small amount of mumbling by some of those gathered, though none seemed to be negative and a few of those gathered were quite interested by their guest.

"He has, merlin knows how, provided me with some very interesting information and he will now be consulting with us on a few things. We will discuss this later," he informed his team. "The only thing you need to remember is that he is a guest and when he is here, he will be under complete and constant supervision. There will be no engaging him in anything other than what he is here to do and there will be no exceptions, do I make myself clear?"

His team nodded their understanding as he glared at each one in turn.

"Good. Now the reason he is here now is because he has a couple of memories to share with us, both centred around this Dark Lord we are trying to deal with. So, pay attention. The pensieve is yours, Potter," he finished, gesturing to a large stone basin in the centre of the table.

Harry nodded stiffly as he removed his wand from its' holster and withdrew the first memory before placing it in to the bowl.

"This is an impromptu meeting I had with him on Boxing Day last year," he explained simply as he tapped the basin causing the memory to begin.

"That's him," he pointed the man out. "He gives his name as Mr Gaunt, but it's a pseudonym. "His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle."

He took his seat and watched the rest of the memory play out, again finding himself smirking inwardly as many of the group whispered amongst themselves as the Dark Lord openly explained his intentions. When it was revealed that both he and Voldemort were parselmouths, every person at the table turned and looked towards him in tandem, appraising him beneath their hoods.

The whispering became furious as the memory ended, each wanting to discuss with those around them what they had witnessed. The sporadic discussions were brought to an end when one of the cloaked men spoke out loud.

"You've got some bloody stones on you, kid," a familiar voice sounded.

Instinctively, Harry looked towards the person and immediately recognised the mannerisms of his once-hated trainer, Filmore.

"A very interesting memory, Potter," the man at the head of the table spoke. "Could we possibly keep it for reviewing purposes?"

Harry shrugged indifferently. Even if such a memory were to emerge publicly, there was nothing particularly damning other than the knowledge of his parseltongue ability.

"That's fine," he agreed. "But you can't keep the second one," he said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because I am only showing you it, so you can see what it is you are truly facing. If I thought you would believe my word, then I wouldn't resort to this," he explained.

The man huffed and shook his head.

"Fine," he growled. "Get on with it."

Harry again approached the pensieve and added the memory of his next encounter with the man before taking his seat once more after tapping the basin with his wand.

It was the first time that he himself had viewed the fight, and he was very impressed with both himself and Voldemort. It was immediately clear that each of them was far more than what the average wizard could ever hope to be. The speed and power that each wielded was a spectacle in itself to behold and the magic on display was nothing short of incredible.

There were no muttered conversations during this memory, each person transfixed by what they were witnessing and in awe by the sheer capability and prowess on display.

The memory ended after Harry lost consciousness at the conclusion of the confrontation, leaving the room completely silent, each person absorbing what they had just seen.

"Unfuckingbeleivable," the man at the head of the table whispered, shaking the other occupants at the table from their respective stupors.

"That can't be real," a female voice stated.

One of the individuals dressed in grey stood and waved their wand over the pensieve, muttering several incantations whilst the others waited with baited breath.

"The memory is completely authentic," the man muttered, much to the shock of the others.

"Can you see now why I asked for the immunity?" Harry questioned the Minister.

The woman was pale and shared the sentiment of the rest of the room. What she had witnessed in that memory would never have been fathomable if she had not seen it for herself.

"That is what you are up against," Harry sighed. "If you are happy to proceed alone, then that is your business. But, I am willing to deal with him personally, no, I want to deal with him personally."

"How?" the female questioned him plainly.

"Excuse me?" Harry returned.

"How did someone as young as you become that good?" she elaborated.

Harry smiled sadly in her direction.

"Because I had to."

The people within the cloaks began whispering amongst themselves again, discussing in more detail what it was they had become privy to and what it was they would do next.

"You will have your immunity, Potter," the Minister whispered to him. "I gave you my word if I deemed it necessary, and I do," she assured him.

Harry acknowledged her words with a nod, pleased that he at least been granted that luxury.

The unspeakable's continued their harshly whispered conversation for several more minutes before the head of the table held up his hand to silence them before speaking himself.

"It appears that we have much to discuss," he declared. "Your ideas have a lot of potential, Potter, but we need to explore all possibilities. But, I think I speak on behalf of us all here when I say that, based on what we now know, you may have to take a much more active role in capturing this man than I first thought," he conceded reluctantly.

Harry shook his head and chuckled.

"You won't be able to capture him," he said with complete certainty. "And even if you did, Azkaban will not be able to hold him. The only way to end this is to kill him."

Many of those gathered around the table nodded and mumbled their agreement with the sentiment. Harry knew all of those in the room would be exceedingly disinclined to confront Voldemort themselves with permission to kill, let alone merely capture.

"I find myself agreeing with you," the man spoke up. "But it is ultimately the decision of the Minister which approach should be taken.

Millicent Bagnold swallowed deeply.

This Dark Lord was much more than she had envisioned, so much more than she could have imagined in her wildest dreams. She prided herself on the moral stance she had always taken when dealing with criminals as Minister of Magic and for the first time in her life and career, she agreed with the seemingly barbarous approach that was being suggested. A man with such power and intentions needed to be quelled as quickly as possible, regardless of what said quelling entailed.

"I agree, wholeheartedly," she announced gravely. "You will keep Mr Potter informed of progress and he will be doing the same," she commanded. "And when you are ready to proceed, do just that. I want this man and those that follow him off of our streets."

"So be it," the unspeakable dutifully accepted with a single nod.

He turned to face Harry before addressing him next.

"We will get word to you very soon, Mr Potter, and you will speak of nothing discussed here with anyone in the interim. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded and accepted the dismissal.

The Minister led him from the room, her complexion still pale as she shot the occasional glance in his direction. Instead of exiting via the floo, she led him through a series of corridors and eventually into an elevator identical to the one in the atrium. She waited until the door was closed until she spoke.

"Your immunity will be with you in writing by morning," she informed him. "That immunity will apply only to Tom Marvolo Riddle. I want as little bloodshed as possible on the whole."

Harry only hesitated a moment before nodding his agreement.

"And if any are killed in potential crossfire or if they attempt to kill innocent bystanders?" he enquired.

"Then I expect you will use your discretion in matters such as those. Do not make me regret this," she warned as the doors opened and she exited, not giving the young man a second glance as she did so.

Harry breathed a deep sigh of relief.

All in all, he had achieved much more than he had expected to on this day and it had left him rather exhausted, but relieved predominantly. The Minister had exceeded all of his expectations and had proven that she was not idle and actively working on eradicating the plague that had befallen her people. His respect for the woman had increased tenfold and he finally felt that he was making progress in ending what he had come here for.

He smiled as he exited the Ministry and apparated outside the gates of Hogwarts.

He could see the light at the end of the tunnel and even almost feel its warmth, a warmth he fully intended to bask in until his dying day, once he finally broke the dark shackles that had kept him away for so long.

 **A/N**

 **I apologise for my rant at the beginning of this chapter, but I stand by what I said.**

 **Harry may have formed a tentative alliance with the Minister and unspeakables, but he will not be working too closely with them. It will be more of an advisory role and no, he is not now an unspeakable nor will he be.**

 **Please do follow, favourite and review as usual and of course, PM me with any questions. As I am currently not working, I was able to get this out quickly and will aim to get this finished as soon as I possibly can whilst I have more time to spend on it.**

 **Again, thank you all for reading, and I am aiming to have another chapter out before Christmas, so I won't wish you one prematurely.**

 **TBR**


	17. The Rogues' Downfall

**A/N**

 **I promised this before Christmas, and you have my apologies for not delivering. I managed to get some temp work to tie me over for the holidays and just didn't have the time, so again, I'm sorry.**

 **There is a long A/N at the end of the chapter with a better explanation and a few things I would like your opinion of, so please do take a look. Anyway, onwards with the chapter you are here to read.**

 **TBR**

Chapter 17: The Rogues' Downfall

It had taken several days before Harry had been allowed access to Rabastan Lestrange, who was being held for his involvement in the attack against Lily, Alice and Marlene. In the intervening time between leaving the meeting with the Unspeakables' and this rendezvous, much had occurred.

Firstly, and though it had taken him weeks to act, Randolph had attempted to have his son released from Ministry custody but had failed miserably in the attempt. He'd had his fair share of support within the Wizengamot, particularly from those of the darker disposition, but it had ultimately been the Minister herself that had buffeted the effort. She had merely explained the evidence they had against him, his suspected involvement and the nature of the alleged incident. The Wizengamot had taken only a few moments to deliberate on the outcome of the appeal and it had been swiftly denied by the majority, leaving Randolph Lestrange fuming as he exited the chambers.

This had left Harry unable to be utilised in the way he was needed. Rabastan had the right to legal-council from the family solicitor who could seemingly demand access to the young man at his own convenience, meaning this could be any time of day he chose. This led to further investigation being put on hold whilst the politics ran its course. It was imperative that the involvement of the Department of Mysteries remained unknown in the interim while they carried out their work; it would not do well to allow their own efforts to come to light after all. To prevent this, Rabastan had been obliviated of all encounters with those cloaked in grey and was under the impression that he had spent his days in the Ministry holding cells. Harry himself would not approve of such an action in most circumstances, but it was a necessary evil he had to endure to make the desired progress.

After the appeal for bail had been denied, Harry had received word that he was now required to carry out his part in ascertaining the depth of the Dark Mark, something he had his suspicions of, but not something he had definitive answers to.

Upon his return to the department via the Minister's fireplace, he had been led to a sparse, stone room with the only furnishing being a chair adorned with shackles in the centre. He had only had to wait for a few moments before Lestrange had been brought in and placed in the chair by two of his cloaked associates, masked and protesting at the unexpected treatment he was receiving.

Having taken a moment to quell the urge to harm the boy for his part in what had transpired, Harry conjured himself a chair and rolled up the left sleeve, revealing the expect, somewhat sentient mark.

He simply studied it for a moment and hummed appreciatively at the magic he could feel within it. Despite his feelings towards its creator, he both marvelled at and respected his abilities, it would be foolish not to.

He was pulled from his observations of said mark by a defiant laughter emitting from Rabastan.

"You'll never figure it out," the young man chortled confidently.

Harry smirked as he seized his wrist in a tight grip, causing Rabastan to wince in discomfort. He placed his hand on the mark for the first time and began analysing what the Dark Mark consisted of, the results much more than he expected.

Having grown accustomed to the grasp of the man holding him, the youngest Lestrange was content to sit and wait for the inevitable failure in the attempt of his captor, completely certain that his masters' mark could not be deciphered by any. The man was the most powerful wizard he had ever been in the presence of and the Ministry had no idea just what was coming.

His confidence soon crumbled however as the man that held him hissed, causing a familiar chill to run down his spine, the very same chill he experienced the first time he heard the snake language being uttered. His eyes widened within the confines of his hood and he fruitlessly struggled against the grip and bonds that held him.

"Impossible," he muttered in disbelief. "He is the only one."

The hissing continued as did the efforts of the captive man, him being unwilling to allow his mark to be inspected any further. This continued for some moments as an escaped prevailed, though not one Rabastan would welcome. The escape that occurred was from his own lungs as his mark flared agonisingly, causing him to perspire, shiver and almost lose consciousness from the onslaught.

"Interesting," the man muttered as he released his grip, seemingly satisfied by his deductions.

Rabastan could only pant, his breathing laboured and exhaustion settling firmly in as he heard the echoing footsteps of whom he now viewed as his interrogator before the door slammed shut, leaving him alone, terrified, but equally relieved that the machinations had come to an end for now.

(BREAK)

Upon exiting the room, Harry walked the short distance to the office he had arrived in and was granted immediate entry as he finished knocking on the door.

He entered to find the Unspeakable he was now accustomed to conversing with sat behind his desk, an untidy mess of papers fanned out across the surface in front of him.

"Well?" the man questioned impatiently.

Harry calmly took the seat opposite and folded his hands in his lap before responding.

"It is just as complicated and as simple as I expected," he offered cryptically.

Harry could almost feel the frown that the cloaked man was sending his way. He waved him to continue irritably with little more than the gesture itself and a low growl.

Harry snorted slightly but complied nonetheless.

"I expected it to be a series of charms, and that is exactly what it is but there are also some runes and a curse. What makes it complicated is that he has managed to create an enchantment that ties all of them together as a continuous sequence," he explained.

The cloaked man shook his head.

"That is not simple magic," he muttered.

"It's not," Harry agreed, "and it is made even more complex by how it has been cast and what the mark is capable of."

"And that is?" the man sighed.

Harry shook his head ruefully.

"The mark itself is sentient," he sighed. "It's parasitic, feeding off the magic of its' host. There is a Protean Charm, a Portkey Charm and several kinds of Loyalty and Compulsions imbued into it."

"Strong enough to counter Veritaserum," the greycloak grumbled.

"And Legilimency," Harry added. "The mark is a defence against both."

"Shit," the man growled in frustration causing Harry to chuckle.

"There is a silver lining," he offered.

"Pray, tell me this silver lining," the man demanded sarcastically.

"Voldemort's arrogance."

"His arrogance?"

Harry nodded.

"He cast the spells in Parseltongue believing that he was the only one capable of speaking it, and therefore, the only able to break it."

The man stood suddenly, his posture quite tense.

"And you believe you can?" he questioned seriously.

Again, Harry nodded.

"I can, but it won't be easy, and I can't be certain of what would happen to the carrier," he warned.

"Is it likely to kill him?"

Harry shook his head in the negative.

"From what I know of Tom, he wouldn't want them dead before he learns how the magic was broken, so that he could ensure it wouldn't happen again," he surmised.

"So why the reservations?"

Harry dragged a hand through his hair.

"Because the mark is parasitic, I believe it will attempt to keep it's hold by any means necessary, even draining the host completely of any available magic," he shrugged.

"Leaving him a squib," the man mused aloud. "That could complicate matters further."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"Leave it with me, for now," the Unspeakable seemingly decided. "I will have to discuss this with the Minister."

Harry bowed slightly and stood to leave.

"Good work, Potter," the man praised. "I'll admit, I wasn't keen on bringing you in on this, but you're certainly proving your worth and ability. Have you considered doing this as a career?"

Harry snorted slightly.

"I've not thought much beyond any of this," he returned. "I can't even consider a future that isn't certain."

"You should," the man advised. "From what I have seen, I have very little doubt in our and your success."

Harry smiled gratefully and headed towards the door.

"You were brought to my attention some time ago by a colleague of mine. He was very impressed on what he had seen, and it seems that was only a sample of what you are capable of," he spoke sincerely. "Think about it, there are many benefits to this career for someone such as yourself."

Harry acknowledged the words with a single nod and exited the room.

As much as he wanted to think about a future, he couldn't. There was nothing more that he wanted than to survive this and live in the peaceful bliss he had always desired with a family around him and friends not tainted by the loss that war brings. He dreamed of this still and had only recently begun to believe that it was a possibility, a possibility that he could almost feel in his grasp.

(BREAK)

Halloween came and passed with no fanfare, seemingly with much disappoint from students and staff alike. It now appeared to be expected that those within the castle would be treated to some entertainment at feasts by the Marauders, who were quite baffled by said disappointment their peers and professors had expressed. They hadn't intentionally boycotted their efforts. The full moon had been close to the 31st and Remus was the vital component of the intended prank. He had however become sickly before his part could be completed, thus the postponement of their activities.

Even the Headmaster himself had been rather subdued and somewhat melancholic throughout the feast which had taken on a sombre tone once it had become clear there would be no festivities this time around. Dumbledore had even shot the group a questioning glance, eliciting nothing other than an apologetic shrug from each.

Harry speculated that those dwelling within the school needed distracting or uplifting from the dire occurrences taking place outside the safety of the walls. The school had become much more peaceful since the departure of the elder Slytherins, but their exiting only added to the worry for the loved ones in general society, whose enemies were now seemingly bolstered beyond what they had been, though not by much and not of the worst calibre.

November passed quickly as the colder weather settled in and winter approached Scotland just as briskly. Harry had received one missive from the Unspeakable in the intervening days simply explaining that the Minister is considering what options are now available to them.

He had merely shaken his head at the news. He knew the only feasible option they had would be to proceed with deciphering the mark further. He understood the precarious position the Minister found herself in, both morally and politically, but it was the only way he could see that would allow them to make the required progression.

Despite all the politicking and the cold weather, the teen was content with how everything else was falling into place around him.

Bellatrix was happier than he had seen her since her difficulties began. She had been spending a considerable amount of time with Andromeda and her Mother planning the upcoming nuptials while he was at school. Being in the castle had also become much easier for the young man. Lily had now satisfied her curiosity about him mostly, and had stopped asking difficult questions, allowing themselves both the opportunity to enjoy their time together with the rest of the group. The relationship between them was still rather tense to a degree in some aspect but he was largely content with how things were. The only thing that plagued his thoughts, as it always had, was Voldemort.

The Dark Lord had been quiet, much too quiet for Harry's liking. There had been nothing in the press regarding the man or what himself and his followers had been up to, where they were, or what nefarious schemes were being concocted by them.

The man lurked on the edge of his conscience always, and though there were times he would become lost in any pleasant moment he may find himself with, be it with Bellatrix or his friends, Tom was always there, a darkness tainting the light he had found. Although he didn't fear the man as he once had, it was an unwelcome presence, one he was impatient with allowing to linger.

It was not until ten days of December had passed that he received further communication from the Unspeakable. He had been training with the other Marauders, Lily, Alice and Marlene when an equine patronus arrived and delivered its' vocal message.

"Seven PM, tonight," it said before dissipating before their eyes.

Harry nodded before once again turning his attention to the others, who had by now come accustomed to him receiving his correspondence in a variety of ways.

"Fiendfyre," he said without preamble. "What do you know about it?"

Each looked to the rest questioningly. After a few shrugs and gestures for one to answer, Lily offered her insight on the subject.

"They are cursed flames," she began confidently. "There's not much known about them and their origins are still debated."

Harry nodded.

"True," he concurred. "It's a very difficult thing to understand without summoning it."

"Summoning?" Alice asked with a frown.

Again, Harry nodded.

"The results of elemental types of magic is in almost all cases dependent on the power of the caster. Fiendfyre is the only known exception to this rule. From my experience, the results are equally powerful, no matter who summons it."

"So, it's like summoning an animal?" Marlene broke in with a frown.

Harry smiled encouragingly.

"It's close. But there are some key differences."

"Like what?" Peter interjected interestedly.

"An animal you summon or conjure is usually very easy to control. Fiendfyre is notoriously difficult to manage. There are only two types of people that would do it. One would have complete confidence in their ability to do so, and the other would be a complete fool. Fiendfyre is as dangerous as magic can be, but it can be beaten if you are mentally capable of doing so or have the magical power."

"Best to avoid it then," Sirius muttered, shaking his head.

"What do you mean mentally?" Lily questioned.

"If you are strong-willed, stubborn to fault really, then you can control it, if it is what you have summoned. In some form it must obey, but only if it senses that you are powerful, and it respects you."

"You speak as though it's alive," Marlene said flatly.

"It is to some degree, just like a Patronus," Harry mused aloud. "There's just not enough known about it to be certain," he finished with a shrug.

"So, how do you stop it?" Remus asked.

"There's not a particular spell. The best way to describe it is throwing a combination of magic and mental power at it and hope it submits," Harry responded thoughtfully.

"It's so confusing," Alice sighed.

Harry snorted.

"It's such a grey area. I'm just going by what has worked for me."

The conversation slowly dwindled as they discussed the accursed flames further, resulting in each of them offering theories from the somewhat credible to completely absurd as they whittled down the hours before Harry had to leave for his scheduled meeting with the Unspeakables, something he had been anticipating taking place for some time.

He left the group at the appointed time with the assurance that he would give them any poignant and relevant information. He hadn't divulged all the particulars with them, but he had been keeping them in the loop as best he could without revealing anything detrimental.

He trusted each of them absolutely, but the school was not an ideal place to discuss such things, especially, as Harry had learnt over the years, the school had ears and eyes everywhere leaving very few secrets in tact within itself.

After arriving at the Ministry, he made his way to the office belonging to Millicent Bagnold and was greeted by the lady herself alongside the cloaked man he was now familiar with, the former looking more drawn and tired since the last meeting the teen had shared with her. She merely gestured for him to take a seat as she took her own and exhaled, her exhaustion accentuated further by the action.

"I have agreed to your approach," she sighed defeatedly with no pomp of note. "I am reluctant to do so, but there has been some unexpected and unpleasant developments."

Harry tilted his head in curiosity and waited for the Minister to elaborate. It was however her companion that continued on her behalf.

"Two days ago, the village of Polperro was attacked. After collecting evidence, interviewing and obliviating the muggles, we have no doubt that Giants, Dementors and a dragon were used. Twenty-three people were killed, and it was only because a squib that resides there managed to alert us that it was not worse," he revealed, his voice as tired as the Minister's.

Harry nodded his understanding gravely.

"What happened to the giants and dragon?"

The cloaked man shook his head in frustration.

"They fled south and the Aurors lost track of them whilst they were dealing with the Dementors."

"I assume that you are prioritising them?" he asked the Minister.

"That is correct, but our attempts at locating them have yielded no results," she grumbled. "And even if we did find them, both are exceedingly difficult to bring down."

"I think if you checked the village of Little Hangelton you may find them there. That's where the Riddle family Manor is," Harry explained.

The Minister nodded gratefully.

"I would also explain the situation to Dumbledore. If anything, I'm sure he will have some ideas at least."

"I am meeting with him this afternoon to discuss it," she replied.

"Just out of interest, what type of dragon is it?"

"A Peruvian Vipertooth," the Unspeakable interjected. "The smallest dragon, but dangerous nonetheless."

"And very snakelike," Harry muttered. "He must have either conversed with it or used parselmagic to control it."

"Is that possible?" the minister questioned worriedly.

"With that particular breed, maybe," Harry shrugged. "I doubt even Tom is powerful enough to use mind magic on one and I doubt it would be a risk he would take."

"Our main concern now, is to put a stop to whatever it is he is doing," Bagnold broke in. "That is why I am allowing you to go ahead and do whatever you need to, to figure out that mark. If we can manage to outlaw it, then it will be a big step in ending this."

"Then I will get on with it," Harry stated as he stood.

"I'll be coming with you," the Unspeakable informed him as he too rose from his seat. "I will need to keep a comprehensive record of what you do and the effect it has. We will need to cover all bases in a legal sense to ensure none of this comes back and bites us on our collective arses."

Harry shrugged and motioned for the man to lead the way. It mattered not to him who was there, so long as they did not interfere at a crucial point of his work.

They exited the fireplace and made their way to the room Harry had previously visited, with no words exchanged as they waited for Rabastan to be brought in so they could begin the arduous process before them. Harry had no doubts that he would be successful in his endeavour, he simply had no preconceived notions of how difficult and exhausting it may prove to be.

As he previously had been, Rabastan arrived hooded and handcuffed, being placed in a chair that added to his already sufficient detention. The young man shook nervously as he protested, words that fell on deaf ears.

"You can't do this," he almost pleaded, his voice quavering with each syllable spoken. "I'm a member of a Most Ancient and Noble House."

Neither Harry nor the Unspeakable responded and the former set about his task, first removing the sleeve of the plain grey prison garb that adorned the other teen. With his access to the mark no longer inhibited, he placed his wand upon the exposed, tainted forearm and familiarised himself with the magic it contained. It was powerful, consuming, even more so than most darker aspects of magic usually were, but he did not allow this to deter him from his efforts. He himself had darkness within him, a darkness perhaps on par with what he now faced.

As he allowed said darkness to wash over him, he immersed himself within it, revelling in how his own negated the parasitic nature of what he faced and smirked as he began to hiss gently, focusing his efforts primarily on undoing the compulsion and loyalty charms the mark had been imbued with.

As his ministrations ensued, the screaming began.

He had not expected the experience for Rabastan to be a pleasant one, he had however not expected it to be so agonizing. He was determined to continue, and after his questioning look towards the Unspeakable was met with a simple nod, he did so.

Rabastan fell both silent and limp within his confines after a few minutes into the procedure, his body physically spent from his own protestations. After checking the boy was still alive, Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the resistance of the mark wane considerably upon this development, and he managed to complete the desired work shortly after, though a prominent sheen of perspirant was visible on his brow, a result of the adversity he himself had faced.

"It's done," he revealed tiredly. "The compulsion and loyalty charms are gone as is the portkey one."

"Good," the man replied evenly.

He removed his wand and flicked it towards the door, causing it to open a moment later and two of his colleagues entered and removed Rabastan from their presence to have him tended to by a healer. The Unspeakable rose at this and led Harry from the room and to the fireplace he usually entered and exited the department.

"You've helped us make significant process. Once he is well enough, we will question him and make a decision on what we will do next. We will of course be in touch if we require your services further," he said dismissively.

Harry shook his head slightly and left via the floo. He hadn't expected praise, but a modicum of thanks would not have gone amiss.

He felt underwhelmingly pleased at what he had achieved this day, hollow in some regards. He had expected that a sense of relief would have at least prevailed, but instead, he felt used and only frustrated. He understood the necessity for caution in the approach the Ministry were adopting, however, in his heart he knew their own achievements were few and far between and progress was not being made at an acceptable pace.

He couldn't help but feel that their efforts were not forthcoming quickly enough and lacked the urgency required to succeed. His own mind permeated with ideas on how the needed progression could be made, but it seemed the Ministry were content to continue their somewhat lackadaisical path and allow the danger the Wizarding World faced to be nurtured more so, something he was not happy with.

He shook his head at his own predicament.

Perhaps it was he that was showing lack of patience, though he doubted this trail of thought significantly. He had no love of politics, but he understood the need of it for the time being to not only protect himself, but those he cared for.

He sighed deeply as he exited the empty Minister's office and began his journey back to Hogwarts.

His only possible option now, to avoid provoking the ire of his tenuous allies, was to wait for word on what would come next after their new line of investigation had been explored.

He would hear from them in due course, this he had no doubt of. He could only hope that the incompetence of the body would not rear its' head soon, it would do nothing but offer setbacks and perhaps failure.

In that moment, Harry made up his mind. If such a thing were to occur, then it would be himself that would deal with it his way, no matter the outcome. He would not allow Voldemort to prevail because he had tried to go about his task using the correct channels. Should the Ministry prove incapable, then he would take the fight to Voldemort the way he yearned for and he would bring the Dark Lord down by any means necessary.

The biggest benefit of combining his own efforts with that of the Unspeakables, was the information he was now privy to. He now knew what the happenings of Voldemort were more clearly and could prepare accordingly. With the information he had received today, he at least had a very solid foundation for what his next lesson with the Marauders and fellow students would be.

Giants and dragons were not easy fare after all.

(BREAK)

It was the very next day after Defence Against the Dark Arts that Harry found himself in a classroom on the third floor with his usual company and as the group settled, he began without preamble.

"How would you bring down a Giant?" he questioned the other teens.

"Giants?" Remus returned with a concerned expression. "He's using them now?"

"From what I have heard, yes," Harry revealed severely. "And a dragon."

Sirius threw his hands up in frustration as the females shared looks of worry.

"Great," the former exclaimed, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Harry chuckled amusedly at him and shook his head.

"It could be much worse," he placated.

"How could it be much worse than dragons and giants?" Sirius retorted.

"He could have a nundu or a basilisk," Peter shrugged.

Sirius looked horrified by the idea, but any reply he may have given was cut off by James.

"Both are resistant against magic," he offered thoughtfully.

Harry nodded.

"They are," he agreed wholeheartedly. "But both have vulnerabilities, and these can be exploited.

He began pacing back and forth as he waited for the rest of the teens to settle once more.

"Giants are not particularly bright, but most spells will bounce off of them," he continued aloud. "What would you do if you faced one?" he questioned Marlene suddenly.

The girl looked between Sirius and Lily, hoping that either would come to her rescue. When it was clear that was unlikely, she swallowed deeply and shrugged non-committedly.

"Run," she murmured uncertainly, causing the rest to laugh.

'In an ideal world, that would be my first choice," Harry revealed. "What if you couldn't run?"

Marlene shook her head.

"I don't know."

Harry smiled at her warmly, thankful that there was still a sense of innocence about most within the room. He turned his gaze to a pensive James.

"Well, if direct spells won't work, I'd use more physical attacks," he answered after pondering the possibilities briefly.

"Yeah, punch a giant, that's a good idea," Sirius sighed in jest.

James frowned at the boy whilst the others shared a chuckle amongst themselves.

"He's right," Harry broke in.

"What, punch them?" Peter questioned confusedly.

This response only caused another outbreak of laughter from the teens.

"Not quite, Wormy," Harry consoled. "I was thinking more along the lines of this."

With a wave of his wand he conjured a very large dummy, not quite the size of a giant, but large enough for an accurate demonstration. With another, he created an adequate steel ball and banished it at the knee of the dummy, causing it to be reduced to little more than powder, the affected limb now lame and unusable.

Sirius whistled appreciatively at the display as he inspected the damage to the figure.

"That's going to hurt," he praised.

The others nodded in agreement at the summary offered.

"Can all of you do that?" Harry asked.

All nodded other than Peter. Transfiguration was not his strong suit by any stretch, but he surprisingly looked unconcerned at his lack of ability.

"I don't think I could," he sighed, "but I think I have something else," he added with a devious smirk.

Without a further word, he drew a potion vial from within his robes and hurled it at the dummy. The resounding explosion had the others covering their heads to avoid any potential debris.

Most shot the boy a look of disapproving despair as Harry inspected the results, his eyes widening in surprise and admiration at the ingenuity shown.

"What the hell was that, Wormy?" Remus questioned, his breathing slightly fast from the shock.

"Just something I've been working on," he responded with another smirk.

The results of his attack were indeed impressive. Both legs of the dummy had been severed at the waist, and very little other than a few sinewy remains were left.

"Can you make more," Harry interjected.

Peter nodded proudly.

"Then do it, they could come in very handy."

"Well, that's one thing dealt with," Lily said, "but what about dragons?"

"Ahh, dragons," a voice interrupted from the door.

The teens turned to find Albus Dumbledore himself taking in the scene in front of him. He frowned slightly as he came upon what was left of the dummy and the heavy scorch marks to the wall.

"You will find," he continued after only a moment' pause, "that a dragons' eyes are where they are vulnerable, though I would certainly advise against engaging one at all," he finished seriously, thought the ever-present twinkle in his eyes remained.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Peter apologised quickly.

"No need to fret, Mr Pettigrew," the headmaster replied with a smile. "I too was young once and did my fair share of dabbling. However, I must insist that this mess is cleaned up."

Peter nodded frantically and set about the menial work.

"And that will be twenty points to Gryffindor for a great showing of fortitude."

Peter flushed slightly at the praise but continued his work.

"Now, where were we? Oh yes, Dragons," Dumbledore mused. "A simple spell would suffice, but the aim of the spell must be true. What would you recommend, Harry?"

"A Conjunctivitis Curse is a good one. It's not very taxing to use and will leave the dragon blind," he replied as his thoughts drifted to how Viktor Krum had handled his dragon during the Tri-wizard tournament. "I'd also secure its maw to prevent being cooked alive."

"Indeed," the old man concurred with a chuckle. "Lots of food for thought there. Now, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd very much like to have a word with Harry, if you don't mind of course."

The other students offered no protests to the request and bid their farewells to both before exiting.

"It is rather troubling that Tom has managed to secure the allegiance of such creatures," Dumbledore sighed shortly after the door had closed behind them.

Harry nodded.

"I see you still have access to information," he responded with humour.

"That I do, though it is not always as forthcoming as I wish. I learned of the attack only this morning via an old acquaintance of mine," he explained simply. "How are things progressing with the Ministry?"

If he hadn't spent much time with the man over the course of the past few weeks, Harry would merely believe that the headmaster was fishing for information to bolster his own knowledge and aid him in his own efforts. However, he had quickly learned that Dumbledore had little use for the Ministry when it came gathering information. He had more than enough people loyal to him in which he could garner this.

"Slowly, but necessary progress is now being made," he assured the man.

"I am pleased," the older man replied, relieved that the efforts of the boy were not in vain.

"I imagine things will start to happen soon. Well, they should if the Ministry do their job," he finished with a shake of his head demonstrating his frustration.

Dumbledore snorted amusedly, and the two allowed a content silence to overcome them.

"In the mean-time, the Christmas feast is fast approaching, as are, I believe, the nuptials of two former students," he spoke, his eyes twinkling more so.

"I'm sorry Professor, I don't think you can expect an invite. It's a very small affair," Harry explained apologetically.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I didn't expect I would," he replied. "I don't think I've ever been invited to a Black wedding," he added with a tug on his beard.

"Differing politics?" Harry offered with a grin.

"That must be it," the headmaster answered with an amused grin of his own. "Though, I would feel slightly disappointed if I never made it to one."

Harry bowed his head in acknowledgement as the man stood to leave.

"I shall remember that, sir," he promised sincerely.

"And I imagine Fawkes will be very disappointed should he not witness some unexpected merriment during our upcoming festivities. He has been very insistent on being allowed to attend this year," the headmaster finished as he exited the room, leaving a very bemused Harry in his wake.

(BREAK)

Lucius Malfoy's eyes bore into his guests, the unspoken threat clear within his pools. The blonde revelled in the power he held over others, his name alone commanding respect amongst the upper echelons of society. The same respect that made his associate waver under his gaze.

"This had better be correct," he whispered dangerously.

The man gulped audibly as he stood.

"I have checked it several times, this is the date and location," he assured the Malfoy heir.

Lucius dropped a sizable bag of gold on the table and dismissed the man with naught but a sweeping gesture of his hand.

For weeks he had waited for this information, and for months he had plotted and planned within his mind the way in which he would exact his revenge on those that had left his name both besmirched and disrespected.

And now, everything was beginning to fall in to place.

He had the much-needed allies to carry out the plan and he had the place in which said redemption would take place. The only thing that remained was to ensure that his father did not catch wind of his actions, the man would be most displeased if such a thing were to come to light.

(BREAK)

The days leading up to the end of term saw Harry occupied with a variety of things. He had continued working with his friends on defence and was pleased with the progress each was making. James in particular, thrived with conjuring the steel balls and banishing them, whereas Sirius worked on a few lesser known binding spells that he had found within the Black family magic tomes. Remus, as Harry had expected, demonstrated his own proficiency in the work and the girls had all banded together and become quite a fearsome trio in their own right.

Peter had been the biggest surprise. Harry had deduced the others would do well in their efforts to the point he'd had little concern with their progress. Peter however, had more than made up for his lacklustre skills in conjuration. He had, instead of creating the steel balls, utilised his explosive vials with spectacular results, something that had the others swelling with pride.

It was clear that he had worked tirelessly on his banishing charm, and although it was not the most powerful, his accuracy and potency of his concoction more than substituted sufficiently for the power deficit.

When the others had questioned what he used to create the vials, the boy simply grinned coyly and shook his head, refusing to share his secret. It frustrated the rest of the Marauders mostly, as it was usually themselves that could lord their capabilities and knowledge over the others, but they eventually managed to accept that the smallest member of their group had something that the others could neither replicate or create for themselves.

This made the rat uncharacteristically more confident and this was further demonstrated in his other work. He no longer shied away from attempting new things and even his spell work improved noticeably.

All in all, Harry was content with how the teens were all progressing and, with each passing day, worried less and less about them and their ability to defend themselves should the need arise.

Not only had the final day of term arrived, the impending wedding of Ted and Andromeda loomed ever closer also, and as Harry had surmised, a shopping trip for new dress robes had been an unavoidable event. Thankfully, it had been Bellatrix that had insisted that she would accompany him on said trip, resulting in a much more pleasant experience compared to the trip he had taken with Dorea and Sirius the previous year. Not only did he not have to tolerate the indecisive nature of the other boy, he was not forced for hours on end to try on every different robe available in the shop. It had been clear from the start that Bellatrix knew the colour and cut she wished for him to wear, and he quickly found her desires agreeable to his own taste, not that it would deter her if he had voiced any objection.

After all, had been said and done, the robe had been purchased and the girl had even treated him to an ice cream at Florean's for what she deemed to be 'good behaviour'.

He shook his head in amusement and grinned at the memory. He had enjoyed that day and was pleased that Bellatrix seemed to be acting more and more like herself.

The day of the festive feast passed in a blur of classes and Harry soon found himself entering the Great Hall with the others, the girls shooting looks of suspicion in their direction, with good reason. The boys had spent their evenings finalising their plan of action, and despite the glares of disapproval they had received from their female counterparts, had persevered and completed all preparations for their intended spectacle.

Much of the work for this had been completed by Remus, who had strangely insisted on taking the lead on this particular project, leaving the other Marauders somewhat clueless as to what his idea entailed. Harry had been asked to only conceal a few charms on a number of items, and he had no idea nor indication what the others had been delegated with for their part in the upcoming entertainment.

Remus led them to their usual seats, and they waited for Dumbledore to make his usual address. The room soon filled with students and staff alike, many keen for the food itself and looking forward to spending some time with their families away from the castle. Although things had significantly relaxed since a large portion of the elder Slytherins had been gone, the holidays were still a much sought-after commodity that many needed, particularly those in their fifth and seventh years respectively. The workload for these students was considerably higher than the other years after all.

Once those attending had all found a seat, the headmaster rose from his own, his twinkling eyes sweeping across the masses warmly.

"And so it comes, the part of the year in which most of us will bid each other farewell for, I believe, a much-needed respite from our academic pursuits," he began cordially. "I would like to congratulate all of you for your efforts thus far, and I expect your exemplary example to continue upon your return. Now, albeit for me to keep from filling your bellies and emptying your heads any longer, so I will simply wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas," he finished with a raised goblet as he took his seat once again.

Ann odd moment of silence fell at the words of the man, and a few searched expectantly, both hopeful and eager for some additional merriment to the gathering. When it was clear that nothing was forthcoming, a few sighs of disappointment were uttered throughout the room and the students and staff alike dug in to their food.

Dorea nodded sternly at Harry and the rest of the gathered teens, approval evident in her gaze at the lack of additional festivities courtesy of her son, grandson and their friends.

James merely ducked his head, aware that he would be facing the ire of the woman shortly.

The look received from the headmaster was questioning, with a hint of disappointment. He had clearly been certain that something would interrupt, or at the very least follow his words. He stroked the plumage of his phoenix in consolation, soothingly as the bird swept its own eyes across the room, cocking his head in anticipation.

The girls too were surprised at the lack of activity, but the suspicious glances remained until it was clear that none of the boys were focusing on anything other than the food each had piled in front of them and they too began to relax, their expressions more curious.

It wasn't until the plates had been cleared and dessert served that the first indication of something amiss could be noted.

It began as a faint, rhythmic rumble that sent ripples through the jugs and goblets containing pumpkin juice, a rumbling that drew nearer as though an army were descending upon the hall.

A panicked and anticipatory chatter broke out as more and more people became aware of the happenings causing Dumbledore to stand and draw his wand, his eyes alight with curiosity and excitement as he glanced towards the Gryffindor table, his unasked question answered by the looks of mischief sported on the suspected perpetrators faces.

The cacophony of sound drew ever closer until it was outside the door to the very room. There was a delay for only a second before they burst open and the source of the noise was confirmed, much to the bemusement of the onlookers. In swept a parade of suits of armour, various items of furniture moving of their own volition and various items of clothing that had been bewitched to do the same.

The suits of armour, instead of being equipped with the usual weapons, carried a mixture of instruments from trumpets and saxophones, to drums and violins. Without prompt, a festive piece began emitting from said implements as the impromptu orchestra arranged itself at the front of the hall, leading to a round of applause to sound from the gathered students.

The other props present however, were not idle. Several made their way to the table in which the staff were sat and began to ceremoniously pull them to their feet, forcing them to dance with them.

Professor McGonagall flushed a furious red as she attempted to wrest herself free from a persistent Slytherin robe that had seemingly selected her as its partner of choice.

"You had better put a stop to this, Albus," she growled furiously. "I will not be humiliated by a robe."

Dumbledore chuckled in good nature as he relented and allowed a Victorian night shirt to lead the waltz, he found himself in.

"I disagree, Minerva. I find my companion to be quite the dancer," he returned with a cheeky smile.

The students, initially shocked from the display laughed heartily at the absurdity of what it was they were witnessing, disbelief and amusement alight in their eyes.

Several found the hilarity short-lived.

The props that had not managed to secure a member of staff descended upon them, pulling the teenagers to their feet and subjecting them to the same treatment, much to their dismay.

The Marauders roared in laughter and patted an uncharacteristically smug Remus on the back, his prowess with enchanting surpassing what any could have ever hoped for.

"This is amazing," Sirius shouted to be heard over the din.

In his own merriment, he stood and pulled a thoroughly red Marlene to her feet and began dancing with her, only to be interrupted by a smart tap upon his shoulder.

He turned and frowned as he came face to face with nothing but a levitating pair of metal gauntlets.

"Piss off," he said irritably, waving the gloves on before turning back to the girl.

Again, he was tapped on the shoulder and growled in annoyance.

"I said piss off," he repeated angrily, only to find himself sprawled upon the stone floor as his last syllable was spoken, the gloves having taken offense to his dismissal and punching him in the face for the social infraction.

He held the offended cheek to sooth the pain and looked towards the gloves and Remus in disbelief.

"They bloody punched me," he managed to say through his shock. "Oi," he shouted as his attacker seized Marlene and led her away for a dance of its own. "MOONY," he roared.

Remus simply chuckled as he spooned some ice cream into his mouth, content to watch as the chaos ensued around him.

Sirius shot to his feet and pursued the gloves that had taken his girlfriend, a vast repertoire of expletives being heard in his wake.

Remus could only laugh as he shook his head.

Hagrid had found himself targeted by a rather large hat stand which he was attempting to fend off, with no avail. The large man was pulled around with as much ease as the others, leaving the man bewildered with his current predicament.

The only member of staff that had not been targeted had been Dorea. Remus had no doubt that he would be taking the blame for this display, and he certainly had no desire to provoke the formidable woman. He dared a glance in her direction and was met with narrowed, yet amused and appreciative eyes.

The magic he had employed for this had been exceedingly difficult to cast and had taken him days to complete to his satisfaction and he was more than a little proud of his accomplishment.

He allowed the mania to continue for a little longer, only relenting when he caught sight of the murderous glare he was receiving from Harry, who had involuntarily found a dance partner in the form of a rather aggressive stuffed manticore he had found in the room of requirement.

With a laboured sigh and flick of his wand, he ended the spell causing his creations to collapse limply to the ground, a resounding, relieved sigh following soon after from many as the final sounds of the music faded.

He flicked his wand once more and a series of fireworks exploded overhead within the enchanted ceiling, followed by an animation of Father Christmas flying across in his sleigh, a banner in his wake wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

The completion of his work was met with a thunderous round of applause by most of the students and staff alike before the seats were filled once more.

"Absolutely inspired," Dumbledore praised aloud with genuine admiration of what he had witnessed. "An exquisite display of magic. Fifty points to whomever it was responsible."

The hourglass belonging to the lions filled with the awarded amount as the Headmaster dismissed them, a very happy and content smile plastered across his face.

As the students exited, Sirius shook his head and rubbed his now purple cheek.

"Why the bloody hell did you let it attack me?" he questioned angrily.

Remus shrugged and smirked.

"You insulted them."

Sirius growled and stormed ahead.

"He'll get over it, Moony," Peter broke in.

"I know," Remus returned confidently. "I think it hurt his pride more than anything."

"That was a hell of a punch," Harry interjected.

"Not very fitting for one of his station," James added.

"Or ego," Peter quipped.

The others laughed as they made their way towards their common room, each quite looking forward to heading home in the morning and spending some time with their loved one for the coming festive period.

(BREAK)

Andromeda checked her reflection a final time in the mirror, half turning to take in her appearance in its' entirety before smiling happily, her eyes watering in turn. The dress she had chosen was a rather simple, white ensemble, complete with a veil and modest tiara to complete her look. Simplicity is what she had desired. The day itself would be a rather small affair in comparison to what she had considered as a younger girl, but, in the circumstances, she wouldn't have it any other way. She was marrying the man she loved, and that was all that mattered to her.

She caught sight of her middle sister and her appraising yet approving gaze, her eyes shining suspiciously also as she looked upon her sibling. Bellatrix had been nothing short of a boon to her efforts in making this a day that she would remember. She had taken the reins when needed, and Andromeda could be no more grateful than she was for what her sister had achieved on the behalf of herself and her husband-to-be.

Ted himself had been agreeable to any and all suggestions that had been put forward to him by the Black females, just happy that he was able to marry her at all, and not at all objectionable to her wishes. He had merely explained his amiable attitude towards this as little more than a formality on his part. He loved Andromeda utterly, with or without a wedding ceremony and so long as she was happy with what they had, then he would be content also.

She smiled as her thoughts dwelled on the man, the reality of her impending marriage causing her actions to falter.

Bellatrix frowned as she witnessed the physical manifestation of this and approached the bride, steadying her composure.

"Nervous?" she questioned unnecessarily.

Andromeda shook her head in the negative, a smile once more playing on her lips.

"It's just all real."

Bellatrix snorted lightly.

"I haven't been slaving away for no reason," she huffed teasingly.

"I know. None of it seemed real until now," the older girl sighed. "A year ago, I was at school, innocent, with nothing to worry about," she added wistfully. "And now I'm pregnant, and about to get married."

"Innocent?" Bellatrix questioned disbelievingly, her eyebrow raised.

Andromeda frowned.

"Yes," she responded vehemently. "Ted was my first."

Bellatrix held her hands up placatingly.

"I was just messing around," she soothed. "You can't be worried about that, are you?"

Andromeda shook her head, the frown still prevalent.

"That's the one thing I'm not worried about," she answered with a sly grin.

Bellatrix grimaced.

"I don't want to hear this," she grumbled, causing the other girl to laugh.

"We're both adults," Andromeda chided lightly. "You're telling me that you and Harry haven't?"

Bellatrix took a seat on her sisters' bed and shook her head.

"Not that, no."

A look of surprise made itself known on Andromeda's face.

"Really?" she asked, though she could already see the sincerity in the denial.

Bellatrix nodded.

"So, what have you done? Have you seen him naked?" she probed with a devilish smirk.

Bellatrix blushed, but her eyes lit up with the thought of fond memories.

"You have," Andromeda almost shouted, her voice triumphant.

The already noticeable redness deepened at the accusation, and Bellatrix couldn't fight the embarrassed smile.

"We've done things," she admitted in a whisper, "but not that."

"But you want to?" Andromeda pried.

Bellatrix nodded slowly.

"I do, I'm just scared."

"Scared? Of what?"

Bellatrix shrugged, her own nervousness showing. She sighed deeply before she spoke once more.

"I don't know, I just don't feel good enough for him."

Andromeda smiled sadly at her sister before taking a seat beside her and putting a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked gently.

Bellatrix blushed again.

"When we are together, like that, I feel very inferior and insecure," she answered uncertainly.

Andromeda was confused by the statement, which showed in the frown that formed.

Bellatrix sighed again, this time, it was laced with frustration.

"Merlin, Andromeda. The boy is like a Greek God, he's just so perfect and I'm just me," she explained with a shrug.

Andromeda smiled at her sister and gave her hand a slight squeeze.

"Bella, it's completely normal to feel that way," she assured her. "You feel vulnerable, like he's judging every single bit of you and it makes you nervous because you're scared he will not like what he sees."

Bellatrix nodded at the assessment causing Andromeda to huff slightly.

"How does Harry react to you, when you're like that?" she asked, an embarrassed blush appearing on her cheeks.

Bellatrix grinned mischievously.

"He can't keep his hands off me, nor me him," she replied with a giggle.

Andromeda shook her head.

"Don't you think that's a good thing?"

Her younger sister shrugged.

"It is," she agreed, "but when it comes to anything else, he stops."

"Do you think that it might be because he respects you?"

"Huh?" Bellatrix returned dumbly.

Andromeda chuckled, revelling in the fact that she knew more about something than the other girl.

"I had the same issue with Ted," she revealed. "He was more than happy to feel up the goods but would freeze when it got too much. He explained that it was because he respected me and didn't want to cross the line."

"And what did you say?"

"Nothing much," Andromeda responded with a shrug. "I just asked him if it was what he wanted, told him that I wanted the same and dragged him back into bed. I didn't let him leave until I got what I wanted," she finished wistfully.

"Andi," Bellatrix exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.

"Well, sometimes they just need a push in the right direction," the girl defended.

A brief silence fell between the two whilst Bellatrix digested this side to her sister. She couldn't help but admire the fortitude she had shown, nor the tenacity.

"So, you think I should just tell him?"

"That, or you could just insist," Andromeda responded. "Whatever you think will work. As long as it is what you both want."

Bellatrix nodded her understanding.

"I can't believe you did that," she muttered.

"As I said, a push in the right direction, and trust me, when you start, you won't want it to stop," the older girl explained with a wink.

"Stop what?" the voice of Druella interrupted as she entered the room.

"Nothing, Mother," Andromeda denied with a slightly upturned lip. "I was just giving my little sister some advice."

Druella hummed as she narrowed her eyes at her eldest daughter.

"Where is Cissy?" Bellatrix questioned to change the subject.

Druella sighed.

"She is in her room dolling herself up. She found out a boy she likes will be there today," she explained with a slight grimace. "Any ideas?"

Both of her daughters shook their heads, neither having shared such a conversation with the girl, nor having observed her interest in a boy.

"Hmm, I shall have to keep an eye then," the older woman mused aloud. "Anyway, it is time we headed off," she announced as she pointed to the clock.

"Shit," Andromeda cursed having lost track of the minutes that were passing by.

In a flurry of activity, she collected what she would need for the day and the three females entered the living to find Pollux waiting for them. He greeted the bride with a pained smile, proud of the young woman she had become, though not happy with her choice in husband. He had however agreed that he would follow tradition and give his daughter away, though he did so with more than a little reluctance.

"Do you have everything you need?" he questioned.

Andromeda nodded.

"Then we shall be off," he declared with a sigh.

Druella ignored her husbands' reticence and dour mood as she squeezed her daughters' shoulder encouragingly, leading her from the house and to the area in which a portkey could be used.

"Narcissa, we are leaving," she called loudly.

The sound of rushing footsteps could be heard as the girl descended the stairs and joined them, adjusting her own purple dress as she came. She paused as she took in the appearance of her older sister and smiled.

"You look beautiful," she offered sincerely.

"You too," Andromeda replied, noticing for the first time that her youngest sibling was no longer the little girl she thought of. She was well on her way to becoming a very desirable young woman, something she had never truly considered until she had laid her eyes upon her in this moment.

Pollux too seemed to have a similar realisation dawn as he withdrew a silver chain from his pocket and offered it to his female companions.

"Why did it have to be girls," he sighed as they were pulled away from their home and to the venue that had been designated for the wedding.

(BREAK)

He held her in his arms as he guided them around the dance floor within the forest grove. The clearing had been lit by several floating orbs, complimented by the presence of the fairies that naturally dwelled here, said presence only adding to the serenity of the venue.

Other than a few minor occurrences, the day had largely been a success. The Blacks had surprisingly managed to remain somewhat cordial towards the contingency of Tonks' that were in attendance, small as the group was being of muggle heritage. He had almost felt the need to intervene when Cassiopeia looked as though she would murder those without magic, simply for the fact that they dared to exist and breathe in her presence. A sharp look from Arcturus had curtailed her urges and the woman had instead chosen to ignore them entirely; the best that any could hope to have happened.

Walburga had boycotted the event as was her prerogative, the woman completely insistent that herself nor her husband would be there. Again, this had been expected and even a welcome absence.

Bellatrix sighed contentedly within his embrace as he fought back a chuckle catching sight of Remus and his current predicament. The boy had somehow found himself on the dancefloor with Narcissa, the latter completely oblivious to the scrutiny her companion found himself under. The glares of many he received were nothing short of withering, glares that left him visibly perspiring, his eyes darting to and fro nervously as he attempted to continue his attempt at being an amiable gentleman. He held her to him in a conservative manner, fighting against her attempts to move his hands below her waist, the grey eyes of the Blacks around him not leaving his own.

Harry found his discomfort rather amusing, in-light of the prank the other boy had spearheaded during the Christmas feast, and felt little need to intervene on his behalf. It would certainly teach him a lesson if Arcturus cursed him a few times, and judging by the look the werewolf was receiving, it was a distinct possibility in his near future.

"What's on your mind?" he questioned gently, his tone of voice matching their surroundings.

He felt her smile and shake her head into his chest.

"Nothing really," she answered quietly. "I'm just enjoying being here with you."

Harry felt his own lips quirk upwards. He too appreciated moments such as these, few and far between as they were, it was something he never took for granted.

"It's nice," he observed, giving a nod towards James and Lily who passed by his line of sight in an embrace of their own, the former having refused to attend if she could not be his guest.

Bellatrix sighed into his chest once more before extracting herself from his grip, just enough so that their eyes could meet comfortably.

"I want you, Harry," she whispered, the mischievous grin she wore dimmed slightly by the nervousness in her gaze. Noticing the confusion in his own from the statement, she continued, she did not want her intention to be doubted nor misinterpreted. "In every way, but more than anything, I want you," she finished, her eyes drifting over him, causing him to blush as what she meant made itself known within his own mind.

He dragged a hand through his hair, his eyes narrowing hungrily at the implication resulting in a shudder to course throughout her under his smouldering look.

"This isn't really the place to discuss this," he mumbled, his voice pleading, though his gaze continued to burn into her readily.

This did nothing but cause her smirk to deepen as she returned the desire she saw within his emerald orbs via her own violet ones, the carnal urges of each projected perfectly without the need of words.

Harry shook his head to clear his mind of such musings.

"I want you too," he admitted.

She noted the hesitation that coated his words and she huffed in frustration.

"But?" she demanded with a harsh whisper, a sinking feeling washing over her.

Again, Harry dragged a hand through his hair and sighed.

"It's not that simple, is it?"

His eyes had dulled considerably, so Bellatrix took pity on him. She put her need for answers to the side and squeezed him tighter. This was plainly something that he had thought of, likely for quite some time if his reaction was anything to go by.

"Why isn't it?" she asked, drawing in a preparatory breath, even though she could not stand to face such an impending disappointment.

He smiled weakly at her before he answered, his face awash with a myriad of emotions.

"If I die…"

She cut him off before he could continue, knowing immediately what his next words would be. She rested her head against his chin and took a moment to compose herself.

"I believe in you, Harry. More than I have ever believed in anyone or anything before," she spoke truthfully. She took a deep breath and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "If I was to lose you again, then I would rather it happen knowing I had you in every way. There will never be anyone else for me and I know there couldn't ever be anyone else for you."

Her words were certain, though they were laced with just a hint of questioning.

"Never," he agreed, his own vice thicker than normal.

She gave him a watery smile of gratitude.

"What if there was, for you?" he asked worriedly, the thought leaving a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Her smile remained as his own insecurities surfaced momentarily.

"Nobody could ever be you, Harry. There would never be another. I would sooner remain alone and untouched for the rest of my life than have anyone other than you."

His eyes spilled over slightly at the sentiment of her declaration and she used her thumb to wipe away the errant tear that had fallen.

"This all scares me," he admitted quietly.

"What does?" Bellatrix question with a frown.

Harry shook his head.

"All of this," he responded as he gestured between the two of them. "Before I came here, I never understood any of it. I never knew what it was like to have someone I care about as much as I do you. I care so much that it hurts sometimes," he finished confusedly.

She chuckled at his naivety, her heart breaking slightly at the lack of such a good thing in his life.

"That's love Harry," she sighed, "real love."

He chuckled.

"Is it supposed to be so good and scary?"

Bellatrix nodded.

"I love my family, and the thought of losing them breaks my heart, but it's different with you. I lost you once and you saw what happened to me. The fact is, I can't be without you, just the thought of it feels like someone is tearing my heart out," she explained.

He nodded his understanding.

"It's the same for me," he agreed.

"So, will you stop with your stupid nobility and give us what we both want?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He snorted slightly but nodded.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you if it kept a smile on your face," he responded seriously.

She melted at the sincerity of his words and allowed the tingling feeling that followed to envelope her. Not only could she feel the truth in his words, but his eyes burnt with it equally. The man in front of her would tear the world to the ground for her if she so desired it. But that would never be something she sought, so long as she had him, he was her world and, in that moment, she knew that she was his.

The intimacy of the instance was cut short by the form of an arriving, familiar Patronus.

"We need you now," it said simply before it dissipated.

Bellatrix watched the love he had displayed flitter into nothingness before his usual hard countenance appeared, leaving her wanting, craving for his emerald pools to flicker once more beyond that of what he was now showing.

"I have to go," he said sadly, his eyes sorrowful for the briefest of seconds.

She could only bow her head in understanding, her throat constricted.

He gave her a swift kiss on the head before he departed, leaving in his wake a woman who knew his plight, one that knew that he carried upon his shoulders, and one that carried part of the burden herself. She hated that he felt the need to leave, but she understood. It was all part of who Harry was, just as much as she too had become one of the very few things he needed in life.

But she knew it was worth it, he was worth it.

She had no doubt that he would end that which had plagued him his whole life, and then, she had every hope that she would see more of the man that had just stood before her, his soul bared for only her, more of the man she knew he was becoming.

For that, she would wait a life time if necessary.

She watched as he vanished amongst the thickets so that he could exit the wards and apparate to where he was required to be.

But the truth was; he would never be needed any more than he was by her, at her side, where he belonged.

(BREAK)

Harry arrived at the Ministry to find the building mostly empty, with only a few of the more dedicated employees still milling about. After surrendering his wand to the assistant manning the desk, and receiving the nod of admittance, he made his way to the Minister's office, the activity here contradictory to what he had witnessed upon his arrival in the atrium. A collection of Aurors and senior members of departments alike were seemingly in the process of completing tasks that had been assigned to them, none paying any heed to the teen that was now among them.

Harry shook his head as he felt his stomach sinking, knowing that what had happened could not be good.

After glaring a hole into Dolores Umbridge, and passing her by without leave, he knocked on the door of the woman who had requested his presence and was admitted with little delay. He entered the room to find only the lady herself and the usual Unspeakable, himself being seated as the woman paced frantically back and forth.

"Ahh, Harry, take a seat," she offered as she continued her efforts to wear the carpet down to its barest threads.

He did so and waited for her to explain the need for him to be here. Instead of her acquiesce to his silent request, she gestured for the man to speak in her stead. Harry turned his attention to him and was met with a deep sigh of frustration.

"We fucked up," he said bluntly.

Harry raised an unamused eyebrow but said nothing. He wanted an explanation before determining how dire the situation was, they now found themselves in.

"We got all we need from the Lestrange boy," the man continued. "He admitted what he had done and how he received his mark."

He shook his head before elaborating.

"We gave him a break, some time for the effects of the veritaserum to wear off whilst we decided what we would do next."

He swallowed deeply.

"He hung himself in his cell," the Minister interjected.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the pair, not at all surprised by the amateurism of the establishment. The boy should have been under constant supervision; there was no excuse for him to be left alone the way he clearly had been.

"We decided that we needed to act accordingly. We intended to complete a sweep of the departments to check all members of staff for the mark, but before we got through the first, word had somehow spread and many people fled," the unspeakable huffed. "Of all the staff that remained, none carried the mark."

Harry nodded his understanding.

"So, there was a leak," he deduced.

The man shrugged uncertainly.

"It would appear that way," he agreed sheepishly.

Harry sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.

"The only ones who knew of this were us and our most trusted employees," the Minister defended hotly.

Harry banged his fist on the table, his anger surfacing for the first time.

"Then one of them was not trustworthy," he hissed furiously.

The woman paled considerably as she was faced with the glowing, seething eyes of the young man. She felt a chill run down her spine as she attempted to compose herself, refusing to be cowed by the wizard before her.

"We could not have foreseen this," she spat in retaliation, her chin raised in defiance.

The nostrils of the teen flared.

"It is done," the unspeakable broke in, his own voice stern and reprimanding.

Harry took a deep breath and nodded.

"So, we don't have any other names?" he questioned.

The greycloak shook his head.

"It's not so important," he mused aloud. "We can tally the names of those that have left," he explained.

"That would work," the younger man agreed. "But we need to look at where this leak could have come from."

"I only told one member of my team the full details, and that was as we were about to carry out the searches," the Unspeakable informed him.

"And you're certain they had no opportunity to send a message of sorts?" Harry probed.

The man shook his head resolutely.

"Not without me being able to see it. I trust this person more than any," he added confidently.

"Minister?"

The woman breathed heavily through her nose.

"I told only the Head of the Auror department, the Head of the DMLE and only two others who work closely with me," she answered. "Crouch is completely trustworthy as is my Head Auror, Summers," she assured them. "Both are loyal to the Ministry and were happy to show they are not marked."

"Who were the others?" he pried further.

"My Undersecretary and my personal guard, Kingsley Shacklebolt, both whom are loyal also," she finished, though she was not as certain as she had been.

"Umbridge?" Harry questioned.

"Dolores, yes. She was present this morning whilst we finalised our plans," she replied with a frown.

Harry sighed, having no doubts where the leak had come from.

"Okay," he spoke as he stood. "We need to bring all of them in and get to the bottom of this," he suggested, not giving any hint of who he suspected in the matter. "It must have been one of them, unless either of you have spoken out of turn."

Both denied the insinuation angrily, and Harry held up a hand to placate them.

"I don't believe for a second it was either of you, but that means could only have been one of the others."

"I will send for them now," the Minister declared grimly, not at all happy with the turn of events.

The Unspeakable nodded before exiting via the fireplace as the Minister shouted her instructions to a person outside her now open door.

The wait for those under scrutiny was completed in silence, but short. The Unspeakable was the first to arrive with his colleague in tow, followed only a few minutes later by those of the Minister's entourage.

"Gentleman, and lady. Today, we attempted to make progress with our investigation into the activities of the Dark Lord and his followers, an investigation that has been both hindered and compromised," the Minister spoke, her voice and eyes steely and unwavering. "Now, I have spoken to each of you individually thus far, and we have concluded that the leak that led to the revelation of our plans, could only have come from one of you."

Crouch huffed irritably.

"I do hope, Madame Minister, that you are not under the impression that I am involved in this," he growled dangerously.

"For your own sake, Barty, I hope not," she replied, not allowing herself to be intimidated.

"I have shown I am not marked, and have even volunteered to be questioned under veritaserum," he bit back.

"That's not a bad idea," Harry broke in thoughtfully. "Would all of you be happy to submit yourselves?"

"If the Minister deems it necessary," Shacklebolt answered without hesitation.

Crouch, Summers and the Unspeakable nodded, whereas Dolores Umbridge was now looking nervous, a sheen of perspiration forming on her brow.

"Who are you to decide such a thing?" she spat towards the teen furiously. "We are all loyal to the Minister."

"That remains to be seen," Bagnold interjected darkly.

"Well, I for one refuse," Umbridge declared. "I will not have my deepest, personal information forcibly taken in front of my colleagues. It is both immoral and uncalled for."

"Dolores, I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter. As Minister, it is my prerogative to deem what is and isn't necessary, and in the circumstances, I deem that it is. This is a matter of national security. An investigation of the utmost secrecy and importance has been compromised, and I will not allow such a thing to pass without punishment," Bagnold responded icily.

Umbridge looked towards her colleagues for support, only to be met with accusing eyes. In a moment of sheer madness, her fingers twitched towards her wand, and in only the blink of an eye, she found herself on the ground, head throbbing, ears ringing and bound, unable to even twitch her limbs.

The others in the room turned towards the teen who had acted against her, black and purple wand in hand as his eyes glowed dangerously in the direction of the downed woman.

"Shit, he's fast," Shacklebolt observed, having not even seen the boys' attack.

Crouch nodded his agreement grudgingly.

"Can we get on with this?" he demanded. "We all have other things we need to be focusing on."

The Minister nodded as she drew her own wand and levitated her disgraced secretary into a chair. At her prompt, the lead Unspeakable stepped forward and administered the required three drops of clear liquid and stepped back. It took only a moment for the woman's eyes to glaze over and he gave the go ahead with another slight jerk of his head.

Bagnold cleared her throat before addressing the woman, both anger and disappointment evident in her eyes.

"What is your name?" she demanded.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge," the plump detainee answered, her voice monotonous.

"Are you a follower of the Dark Lord?"

"No," Umbridge answered.

The Minister frowned before proceeding.

"Is it your intention to become one?"

The sweat already prevalent on the woman's brow thickened as she fought the potion as best she could, but to no avail.

"Yes," she ground out.

Bagnold sighed, her lips twitching in distaste.

"Was it you that revealed our intention to search the staff for the Dark Mark."

A single tear fell from the left eye of Umbridge broke free, though all in attendance were certain it was not one of regret but one of self-pity.

"Yes," she expectedly revealed.

The Minister growled in fury.

"How?"

Umbridge swallowed deeply.

"I sent a paper note to Lincoln Rosier to warn him."

"Rosier?" Crouch broke in. "I Should have known."

The Minister sighed.

"What's done is done," she muttered unhappily. "That doesn't change the fact that the only evidence we had is now useless and our only source is dead."

"Then we should get more," the Unspeakable advised.

"That will be very difficult," she returned.

"Indeed," the man concurred. "We do however now have a list," he pointed out.

"A list of suspects that we cannot move against. We cannot prove they have committed any crimes. It is not illegal to be marked despite what we know of it," she explained. "We cannot arrest anyone based on mere speculation."

The Unspeakable nodded.

"And it does not help that all of those missing are prominent members of pureblood families, they will not stand for what they will deem a prejudice inquisition."

"So, how do we proceed?" Crouch questioned keenly.

"We must catch them in the act," Kingsley answered in realisation.

Crouch was not at all appeased by the answer.

"Impossible. By the time we can respond to their actions, they are always long gone."

The others in the know murmured their agreement with the man.

"There is another way," Harry muttered.

When the others looked to him for the answer, he took a deep breath.

"It will be controversial, but necessary," he warned.

"What is your suggestion?" the Minister requested, open to anything that could assist them out of this bind.

"As Minister, you have the power to ban any with the mark from entering the Ministry of Magic, pending further investigations," he explained.

The woman nodded thoughtfully.

"It's not as though our efforts are hidden any longer," she mused. "The problem is, we are now unable to carry out the investigation. Those with the mark would have already gone to ground."

Harry nodded.

"It just means that you will be able to present what remains of the Wizengamot with what you do have and hope you can convince them to pass the necessary decrees."

The woman shook her head.

"We don't have enough," she admitted. "Even the staunchest of light supporters will not be swayed. It will be deemed circumstantial at best as we only have the words of a now deceased boy," she huffed. "We need further evidence, and we cannot get it the way we had intended. It's all well and good investigating it internally, but we cannot just decide amongst ourselves that a witch hunt can go ahead. It goes against what the Ministry stands for."

"So, the only way is to catch them in the act?" Harry asked.

Bagnold nodded.

"And we don't have the numbers for the necessary patrols," Crouch sighed. "We lost twenty-three Aurors today."

"We are fucked, then," Harry deadpanned.

"It seems that way, for now," Bagnold conceded.

Harry frowned as he thought on his own actions and what he would do next. After the display of incompetency, he had witnessed today, his faith in the Ministry had all but diminished entirely, but he still needed their support if only to avoid any potential backlash in the future.

"What if a helpful citizen was able to persuade some employees on that list to return to their place of work?" he questioned curiously.

Bagnold narrowed her eyes at him.

"Careful, Potter," she warned. "Your immunity only covers your actions against the Dark Lord and not those that have chosen to follow him, unless you are openly attacked," she reminded him.

"It could work," the lead Unspeakable shrugged.

The Minister shook her head.

"It would be nothing but dubious," she responded heatedly. "It is unlikely that these people would come quietly, and we have no grounds to raid their homes albeit officially or unofficially."

"The Minister is right," Crouch agreed unhappily.

The woman in question looked towards the clock and stifled a yawn.

"It is getting late, and we are unlikely to achieve anything else this evening. Let's get some rest and we can resume this in the morning," she decided. "But unless we can come up with a solid plan, then we are stuck."

"What about openly banning the mark within the Ministry?" Kingsley questioned.

Bagnold nodded.

"It is a start, and it will show the public that although we have had a setback, we are continuing to work against the man and his followers as best we can."

"What about Umbridge?" Summers asked, nodding towards the still bound woman.

The Minister sighed, seemingly having forgotten her secretary.

"She will be taken to Azkaban, pending a trial to be arranged at a later date," she instructed. "Any other questions you want to ask her, Barty?"

The man pondered the question a moment before nodding and approaching the woman. Seeing that the potion was still in effect, he addressed her.

"Have you, in other way, knowingly aided the Dark Lord or any of his followers in their endeavours?" he demanded.

Harry silently applauded the man for his foresight. The question itself was poignant and necessary.

Dolores shuddered as she nodded.

"Yes," she answered, her voice quivering.

"How?"

"A man approached me on behalf of Lucius Malfoy. He said that Lucius needed information of where a certain wedding would take place for his Lord."

"Which wedding?" Harry interrupted, his eyes alight with both worry and fury.

"Andromeda Black and her mudblood lover," Dolores answered, trembling under the stare that was levelled at her.

Harry growled as an ethereal Thestral entered the room and spoke in the voice of the woman he had left a short time ago.

" _Harry, you need to come back, they're here."_

Her voice was desperate and rung in his ears as the creature faded. Without hesitation, he flicked the elder wand into his hand and vanished in a burst of black smoke, the heat and force of his departure sending those remaining in the office sprawling to the ground.

"Gather what men you can and get there," the Minister instructed her head Auror sharply as she rose.

The man nodded and sprinted from the room.

"That was Dark Magic," Crouch declared angrily, a vein in his temple visibly pulsing.

"That is the least of our worries, Barty," the woman chided. "Potter is not known for mercy. We need to stop him killing those people, it may be our one chance to salvage this."

The man gritted his teeth and nodded.

"You two," he addressed the Unspeakables. "Keep an eye on her," he commanded as he gestured to the prone form of Dolores Umbridge before he too exited the office followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt.

The Minister took her seat and released a deep breath. Potter had undeniably been an asset to her and her efforts, but the power he wielded and temperament gave her cause for concern. She could only hope the young man's ambitions were pure and he would not become an issue in the future.

"He will have to be watched," she sighed, the lead Unspeakable still present nodding his agreement, her own thoughts easily interpreted by the man.

(BREAK)

Under the pretence of needing use of the facilities, Remus found himself in the bathroom, the cold water he was liberally splashing on his still red cheeks doing very little to assuage the discomfort he was experiencing. It was not that he disliked the girl, far from it, but the newly revealed persistent side to her troubled him. The two had shared the occasional interaction whilst at school if they had happened upon the other, these exchanges always amiable at the very least. Intervening on one's behalf when in peril creates a bond of sorts after all, but the girl had never exhibited herself in such a way during any of these and it confused him.

He was certainly no fool, he just could not understand why such a promising girl would have intentions of this nature towards him. He in no way thought that he was repulsive outwardly, nor inwardly for that matter, other than the bestial companion that resided within him, his lifelong companion that would emerge as the full moon did.

She however, had no such cursed existence. Her family was powerful, affluent, feared and awe-inspiring in equal measure, herself growing to be a very beautiful young woman with the gift to attain all she desired. So, why was it that he feared her affection? A question that had many answers, each one more persuasive than the one that preceded it.

As much as she appeared to be a woman, she was still just a girl. Only two years separated them in age, these were however two vital years in development and maturity, both mentally and physically. A rather negligible age gap in a few years-time, but an age gap that would currently land him in Azkaban, or more than likely, murdered by her fiercely protective family members.

He shook his head as he released a deep breath. These, in truth, were the least of his concerns.

The fact was that he was a werewolf, destined to remain looked upon as a blight on society, a second-class citizen at best, no matter how much he wished it would change. It was his lot in life, his burden to carry and he could never let her sully herself by having an affection for him, the lowly creature he was treated as.

In truth, he did not even know why it was he stood before his reflection having this internal debate, it was not something he would be able to compromise, negotiate or change. It was simply out of his reach in all ways. All he could do was allow her obvious infatuation with him to pass as all school-girl crushes did eventually.

In only half a year, he would be away from the castle for good and she would still be there for another two. He just had to avoid her until then and then he would soon become but a distant memory to the girl.

He turned off the tap, ready to be his ever-polite self for the rest of the evening, lead her around the dancefloor as she wished and ensure she had an enjoyable time within reason, an intention that collapsed around him as the door opened and Arcturus Black intruded upon him, his stormy grey eyes appraising the teen as the door closed behind him.

"Lupin," he greeted him cordially enough. "I hope you are enjoying your evening."

The tone was casual, but the eyes continued to bore into his own leaving his mouth dry and stomach flipping fearfully.

"Yes, Lord Black," he managed to reply quietly, his stare dropping.

Arcturus nodded once before brushing past the young man and beginning the process of washing his hands, those ever-appraising eyes not leaving him in the reflection of the mirror.

He finished his ablutions and began drying himself on a towel, finally taking some pity on the teen that he had been impressed by since their first meeting.

"I understand your predicament," he sighed. "Do not hurt her," he warned severely.

"I don't intend to, Lord Black," Remus assured him. "It's just a slight crush, I think."

Arcturus let out an uncharacteristic chuckle.

"I'm sure it is. But do not underestimate her persistence. She is just as stubborn as her mother and she will pursue what it is she wants to the very end."

Remus shook his head, partly from frustration, partly from worry.

"What should I do?" he questioned pleadingly.

Arcturus gave a weak smile of understanding.

"If you continue to feign ignorance, it will do nothing to deter her. It will more than likely bolster her determination," he explained, his own tone equally frustrated laced with a hint of admiration. "What do you think you should do?" he fired back, his eyes narrowed.

Remus took a moment to consider his options before replying.

"I should talk to her, explain as best I can," he said uncertainly.

Arcturus nodded.

"You will find that she is just as understanding as she is fierce. She has a beautiful soul and won't condemn you for your decision."

"Thank you, Sir, for the advice and not killing me," he finished with an awkward laugh.

"Killing you?" Arcturus questioned with a deep frown. "You are a good man now, Lupin, and I have no doubt that you will only become even better. I am a man of my word and I look forward to seeing you NEWT results. I hear you put on a very impressive show at the Christmas feast."

Remus blushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I wanted to test myself and see how far I'd come," he shrugged.

"And how far do you believe that is?"

Remus smiled proudly.

"Far enough that I am confident I can succeed."

"Then our future business endeavours will prove to be profitable," the old man stated.

He stepped past the teen once more and placed a hand on the door, ready to exit but held back momentarily.

"Good luck with my Granddaughter, Lupin, I think you will need it," he offered with a smirk before exiting the room and joining Pollux and Druella once more.

"He knows what is expected of him?" Pollux ground out, receiving a warning glare from his wife.

Arcturus nodded.

"He needed no prompting on the matter," Arcturus answered.

Pollux nodded firmly. He knew he could do nothing in the long term where his youngest was concerned, but for now, she was still a young girl and he wanted her focused on her studies and not chasing after the opposite sex. He wanted the best for her, and he was absolutely confident in her potential as he was his other daughters.

"Why are you grinning?" he questioned his father, the man not attempting to conceal his newfound mirth.

"Well, soon enough, it will be Sirius' responsibility to deal with this particular problem, hopefully before it resurfaces," he explained with his eyes alight.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pollux demanded, frowning as his wife smirked also.

"You don't truly believe that Narcissa will be deterred forever? She will continue to pursue it, it's her nature. I'm just hoping it can be postponed until she is out of school and I am no longer the Lord Black," he laughed openly.

Pollux's eyes widened comically as Druella chuckled along with her father-in-law.

Both in agreement of his assessment of the youngest Black female, neither aware why the young man would fight such affections.

(BREAK)

He took a moment to compose himself further before exiting the bathroom and ignoring the surprisingly amused stare of the man in which he had just been conversing with, the glint in his eye unexpected and a little troubling. He had no need to seek out the vivacious blonde, she found him before his gaze could complete a cursory sweep of the room.

"There you are," she exclaimed, claiming his hand in her own in a confident, recklessly brazen manner.

He felt a heat prickle his cheeks as he averted his eyes to the ever-watching figure of Arcturus Black, the stare he found boring into his own ignorant of the plea for help, still shining with that irksome, rare gaiety.

The visage of the girl's father however, held no such merriment, only flared nostrils and narrowed orbs, not humoured slightly by what was before him.

Remus swallowed deeply as he graced the girl with his attention once more, the feeling of suffocation tightening around his throat the more he pondered the implications of her fascination with him.

"Can we talk?" he asked, his voice weaker than he intended.

A slight frown marred her delicate features as she glanced over his shoulder towards her grandfather, father and mother gathered around her table, her eyes flashing dangerously for the briefest of seconds before she smiled at the older boy and led him to somewhere secluded from prying ears.

The glare he couldn't miss only increased his nerves and he was no longer certain would be more pleasant to confront; this teenage girl who seemed determined to claim him in some way or the ire of the older members of her family, who would undoubtedly express their displeasure of him through unfathomable means.

No matter his choice, he was quite certain that he would be subject to the rather infamous Black temper.

Narcissa took a seat on a bench, far away enough from the other revellers for privacy, but not too far that they would be entirely out of sight. She certainly did not want either of their honours questioned nor reputation smeared because she had deigned to share a moment of privacy with the boy. She crossed her legs primly and gestured for him to join her. He did so, and she raised a questioning eyebrow, inviting him to speak.

He exhaled the deep breath he had taken in preparation, crumbling slightly at her already stubborn posture. Her chin was raised, back straight, looking every bit the pureblood lady she was becoming.

"Narcissa," he began nervously, no longer sure on how to broach the subject without embarrassing the girl or himself coming across as foolish or uncaring.

"Cissy," she corrected him.

He acquiesced her request with an apologetic nod.

"Cissy," he obliged.

He sighed and shook his head.

"What are you doing?" he questioned more harshly than he had intended, his frustration at the situation surfacing.

He was met with the raising of an immaculate eyebrow, her lips twitching slightly.

"I have no idea what you mean, Remus," she denied playfully.

He returned her words with a pleading look and a small, sad smile.

"The flirting, the dancing, I just don't get it," he said, his voice much softer than it had been previously.

Narcissa gave him a smile of her own, one that belied the confidence she had been exhibiting until now. Her hands fidgeted slightly in her lap as she looked away, seemingly undecided with how to proceed. A deep breath followed shortly, the teasing and surety that had been prevalent, no longer so.

"I like you," she stated matter-of-factly. "Ever since that day in Hogsmeade."

Remus nodded his understanding as his chin dropped to his chest.

"I only did what was right. I protected you because, at the time, you needed it. You don't owe me anything for that."

The girl frowned and narrowed her eyes at him, the same way she had done so towards her family only moments prior.

"I don't feel indebted to you," she said firmly. "None of this has anything to do with that."

Remus frowned in confusion but was halted in his reply by her as she continued.

"You got my attention that day, I won't deny that. It gave me a very good idea of the person you are, but that isn't why I like you," she explained. "I like you because of everything I see in you. You're strong, brilliant at what you do, quietly confident but don't take everything seriously."

She blushed slightly before speaking her final thoughts.

"And very good looking," she added shyly.

Remus felt himself warm at the sincerity of her words, not feeling deserving of such praise. He took her hands and squeezed them gently, appreciatively.

"We can't," he whispered regretfully.

"Why not?" she returned passionately. "Is it because I'm not your type? Do you not like me that way?"

He met her eyes, his heart sinking as he noted the tears beginning to form. For any, he would have felt the guilt creep into him for the rejection he had to give, but for her, he found himself caring deeper than he thought he would have imagined. It was not just guilt that plagued him, but the knowing that he was denying himself also tugged within his gut uncomfortably.

"No," he denied miserably. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?" she asked almost desperately. "I know you have enjoyed tonight as much as I have. Just, give me a good enough reason why, and I will understand."

He shook his head, not having expected this to be such an emotionally difficult conversation. He hadn't at all considered that he may like her also. It had always been a commodity that he had denied himself because he knew that he could never have this, with anyone, let alone someone of the calibre of Narcissa Black.

"I'm older than you, an adult," he tried.

"Something that won't matter in two years," she bit back, a little angry at the feeble excuse.

He conceded the point with a nod and rubbed his cheeks tiredly. It was a poor excuse, he knew, and not one that she would accept enough to deter her want of him. He thought furiously of anything else he could use, anything that would make her understand that he was not right for her, and never could be. He met her pleading stare once more, a mistake, for he could not deny her the truth. She deserved it. She had bared herself to him in a way she had done for no other, and for that alone, she deserved the real reason and not the poor excuses he could provided or platitudes that were weaker than he felt in this moment.

He took her hands again, both to bolden himself and support her for the impending revelation.

"We can't Cissy," he began, his confidence waning with each passing second. "Your family would never allow it."

She shrugged indifferently.

"They don't approve of Ted," she pointed out.

"This is different," he replied heatedly. "It's not the same. They would never allow it and you won't approve of me either," he concluded quietly.

"I already do," she hissed irritably. "So, what is the real reason, Remus? If it's not that you don't feel the same as I do, what is it?"

"I'm a monster," he said in just above a whisper. "Something your parents probably told you about when you were little to scare you, someone who can't have what it is I want because of what I am."

Narcissa frowned in confusion and laughed, though there was no humour in it.

"A monster?"

His face dropped, the years of self-torment, people unknowingly aiming their bigotry and hatred towards him and misery of his condition expressed in his features, eyes settling in to the amber of the wolf, though depressed, absent of the malice they usually contained.

"A werewolf," he muttered. "I'm a werewolf."

She stood and took a step back in shock, not having expected a revelation of this nature, her first instinct being to flee from the young man. The sadness in his eyes deepened, if it were a possibility, and she chided herself for giving in to the conditioning she had received throughout her life regarding these creatures. Her own expression became apologetic as she took a tentative step forward and cupped his cheek with a trembling hand, ignoring the flinch of the rattled boy at her approach.

"I'm sorry," she whispered genuinely.

He shook his head and swallowed audibly.

"You don't have to apologise."

"I do," she returned sternly. "I know the person you are, and I reacted just as poorly as a stranger would."

"It's okay," he reiterated.

"No, it isn't, Remus," she scolded, her anger directed more towards her own actions. "I'm just as guilty as everyone for how you and your kind are treated. You are one of the best people I know, and I let my prejudice take over." She gave him a weak smile before speaking further. "It is people like me that are the monsters, the ones who judge you for what you are because of what we have been told. You are not a monster, Remus. You are an amazing person who does not deserve to be treated that way."

He felt himself warm slightly at her words.

"Could you please not tell anyone?" he asked. "Only James, Peter, Sirius and Harry know at school."

"I won't tell a soul," she promised, "but you have to do something for me."

He nodded warily.

"Don't deny yourself the chance to be happy because of a small part of you. You have such low self esteem because of it, and it's silly," she sighed. "I know I reacted badly, and I will always be sorry for that, but if someone cares about you, then the wolf won't matter."

"It matters to you," he pointed out with aa humourless chuckle.

"It doesn't, not really," she mumbled. "It took me by surprise, I can admit that. But it doesn't matter, I still feel the same way, stronger if anything," she finished sadly. "It matters to you though, Remus. That is something only you can deal with, and when you do, then maybe you can be as brave as the wolf in you and pursue what is it you want."

He gave her a weak smile of appreciation.

"So, you understand why we can't?"

Narcissa shook her head, a mischievous grin forming.

"Not at all," she denied. "I understand why you think we can't."

She removed her hand from his cheek and replaced it with her lips, giving him a brief kiss as her eyes sparkled.

"Tell me that you're not interested, and I will walk away from you," she challenged.

His words failed him, her audacity and tenacity shocking him into silence. Even if he had the capability to deny her, he couldn't. He knew that anything he spoke to that end would be dishonest with himself, and her more importantly.

She smiled knowingly at his inability to formulate a response and gripped his hand tightly.

"If you can figure yourself out, and forgive me for how I treated you, then you know where I am. I will wait for you, Remus, you and the wolf, if you will both have me".

He marvelled at her, this wonderful, unencumbered girl who he could see wanted a chance with him. She had asked for nothing more than that and had spoken frankly and honestly with him. He couldn't respect her more even if he desired it, more so, he could not wholeheartedly deny her wish with dismissal.

Instead, he gave her a solemn bow of his head, eliciting a bright smile in return.

He had no doubt that the Lord Black would likely skin him alive, but he found that even though he had betrayed his trust somewhat, he could not outright reject Narcissa. It was not what either wanted, and he could only hope that someday, even if she decided he was no longer what she wanted, that he would have the self-worth to attain something as meaningful as what she was offering, when he was ready to do so.

The duo began walking back towards where the other guests were mingling, already feeling the stares of some upon them causing a sense of dejection to sink into his stomach, but there was something else on the edge of his perception also.

He paused his steps, garnering the attention of the girl, causing her own to cease.

He sniffed deeper as a foreign scent permeated his honed nostrils, frowning in confusion as he failed to identify the somewhat familiar aroma.

"What is it, Remus?" Narcissa questioned worriedly.

His intended response was quelled as he instinctively shoved her aside forcefully with his shoulder, the spell seemingly aimed at her tearing into the same appendage, sending him spiralling to the ground, blood immediately oozing from the wound.

His many hours under the tutelage of Harry prevailed however, and he rolled forward to his feet and drew his wand as the shouting from behind him began.

It was impossible to miss the six figures that approached from the trees, their bone white masks glistening malevolently in the darkness. Harder still was the pink barrier that had formed at his back, separating him from the rest of the wedding attendees. He backed up, under no illusion that he could defeat this number of assailants, retreating until he met the resistance of the barrier that shoved him forward, not granting him sanctuary with the others.

He chanced a glance over his shoulder and found himself met with a multitude of reactions. He briefly caught sight of Arcturus, Charlus and Pollux, wands drawn and attempting to remove the barrier. His gaze swept across the faces of James and Sirius who showed concern for him, both gripping their wands tightly, uncertain of what to do, and he finally met the eyes of Narcissa. She was terrified, pleading for him to run, absent of words.

He swallowed deeply and gave her a sad, but reluctant smile. It was a trap, and he was the only one that could prevent the intended actions of those that intruded upon them. He would not run. He would protect them as best he could, the same way his friends had always protected him.

He turned his attention back to the cloaked figures, the distance between them having closed considerably. His left arm hung limply at his side, but he braced himself nonetheless and fired off a salvo of spells, taking the attackers by surprise.

His chosen target avoided the first, parried the second and shielded the third and returned fire, followed by his companions.

Remus erected a powerful shield that buckled and cracked under the onslaught and nimbly rolled to his side, gritting his teeth against the pain that shot through his already useless arm. He fired a series of Bonebreakers and Bludgeoners, clipping the largest of the attackers with one of the formers and followed up with an Asphyxiation Curse that sailed over his victims' head as he fell to the ground, clutching his knee with a scream.

This only served to infuriate the masked invaders, and Remus was forced to throw himself to the ground to avoid their response. He refused to remain idle however, and he sent a stream of towards them as he righted his stance and sent off to Cutting Curses and a powerful Blasting Curse that echoed resoundingly as it impacted against a tree, sending thick, splinters of wood in all directions.

His efforts were met with a further scream as another fell victim to his work, a large slither of wood now protruding from his back as he lied twitching on the ground.

The attackers continued to press their advantage, and he again raised a shield only to find himself flat on the ground as a bright blue spell tore through his defences and ploughed into his sternum, leaving him on the edge of consciousness, the air ripped from his lungs. He struggled to draw breath as the blackness threatened to overcome him, unable to fight the effects of what he had been struck down with.

A sharp pain spread throughout his scalp as he was pulled to his knees by his hair, the spinning of his head making him nauseous and unable to defend himself, weakened as he was now.

"Tell Potter, to drop his wands and come out and we won't hurt his little friend here," a gruff voice demanded, the voice muffled by the trauma he was experiencing.

The response the man received was a feminine laugh, a laugh that promised pain.

"Harry isn't here," the voice of Bellatrix answered. "But don't worry, Lucy, he's on his way and I'm sure he is looking forward to playing with you."

Remus could almost hear the feral grin the girl was certainly showing, and his attackers began muttering amongst themselves uncertainly, clearly not having planned for this turn of events.

"We should go," one voice advised cautiously.

But it was not to be.

"What was that?" another questioned fearfully.

"Wards," the first replied.

The four remaining attackers became steadily more unsettled and Remus felt a sense of foreboding come over him in the form of a coldness that sunk into the very marrow of his bones, a coldness that the others were acutely aware of.

As his vision began to clear, he noticed the thick, smoky fog that had rolled in from the trees and the lone figure that now approached from within it, his eyes glowing that eerie green that would unsettle any that met such a sight. He felt the grip on his hair tighten painfully and a wand pushed against his neck.

"Stop where you are, Potter," the gruff voice spat. "I will kill him."

Harry stopped as commanded, his eyes taking in the scene before him as he smiled unsettlingly.

He tilted his head to the side questioningly, his grin turning animalistic.

"Go ahead," he shrugged casually. "My wards are up, which means none of you are going anywhere. Kill him, but before you do, you should be aware of something," he advised as he stepped forward again, the atmosphere becoming frighteningly tense.

"What are you talking about, Potter?" the assailant responded uncertainly.

"You will have to kill him very quickly to succeed, but that will leave me with all the time in the world to return the favour, and I will not be merciful. I will make you all suffer every pain you can imagine. I will make you watch as I as I take every single person you love and subject them to horrors you could never fathom, helpless to prevent what I will do. And only then will I put them out of their misery, but not any of you. No, I will keep you alive. Every single day that you exist will be more miserable than the last, more painful, more horrific. I will make you beg for death, something that I will not grant. I will destroy your mind and body, but I will not allow you the luxury of death."

The masked men shuffled nervously, the fear they now felt palpable to where Remus could smell it coming off them in waves. One however, remained steadfast.

"Fuck you, Potter, our master is coming for you," he spat. "Drop your wand or we kill all of them. Do it now!"

Harry hesitated for only a moment before he complied, throwing his purple and black wand to the ground in front of them, causing the attackers to breath a sigh of relief.

"Have it your way," they heard him whisper before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Where is he," one them questioned furiously, a hint of worry lacing his words.

"I'm right here," the voice of Harry sounded close by. "But, I'm also here," it sounded again, this time quite a distance to the left.

"Stop playing games, Potter," the gruff voice shouted.

Harry sighed from wherever he was. 

"If you insist."

Several Thestrals took shape from the fog and charged towards the masked men, the spells they fired in return passing straight through, having no effect on the creatures. They scattered in panic as the creatures drew closer and Remus found himself on the ground once more, abandoned in favour of their own safety. He watched, stunned as the horse-like beasts continued their chase, quickly sending three of them to the ground to join the other two that had fallen to his wand.

The sixth had a little more success, managing to evade his pursuer, but he made the mistake of running towards the grounded werewolf, who sprung to his feet and brought the remaining man down with a vicious uppercut that rendered him unconscious.

Remus too found himself back on the ground as the adrenaline wore off, and the dizziness of blood loss overcame him, he chest still heaving with the effort to breathe.

He noticed harry walking towards him, binding the bodies of the Death Eaters as he did so, a look of concern aimed in his direction.

"Are you okay, Remus?" he asked gently.

Remus could only nod. He was far from it, but he knew he would survive.

He watched as Harry drew an unfamiliar white wand from his left sleeve, baffled by the appearance knowing that it was not the wands that belonged to his friend. He was in no fit state to enquire to its origins however and released a sigh of relief as he felt his skin knit back together tightly as his friend went to work on him.

"I wouldn't have let them kill you," Harry whispered guiltily.

Remus managed a weak chuckle.

"I know," he assured the other boy as he accepted what turned out to be a blood replenishing potion and a pain reliever. "Thank you," he said breathily as they took effect. "You need to get them out of there, I will be fine," he added as he pointed to the pink barricade that remained, the wedding guests visible through the sheen.

As Harry left, he took the chance to breathe deeply, a moment to himself to recover and compose himself. His arm throbbed dully, the potion having not completely eradicated the pain and found himself wincing only a moment later as he felt the weight of someone squeezing him tightly.

"You stupid, stupid man," Narcissa sobbed into his damaged shoulder.

"I'm okay," he attempted to placate her, but she shook her head angrily.

"You might not have been," she gritted out as she pulled herself away from him. "Such a stupid Gryffindor thing to do," she scolded.

"Err, I am a Gryffindor," he reminded her.

She attempted to glare at him, but smiled despite herself, her eyes softening.

"Come on, let's get you inside and get you checked out," she offered as she helped him to his feet.

"I will take him," Arcturus insisted as he reached them. "Go and speak to the Aurors, they want a statement from everyone," he instructed his granddaughter as he gestured towards the contingent that had arrived without either being aware.

She looked as though she would protest, but a single look from the man stymied this and she left to do as she was bid, giving Remus a long look as she departed.

Arcturus said nothing more but turned and began walking towards the tables with the teenager in tow.

"That is twice now that you have put yourself in danger to keep her from it," the older man stated. "You are going to have a reputation similar to Potters' if you aren't careful," he added amusedly.

Remus shook his head in denial.

"I did what was right. I wouldn't let anyone hurt her," he returned with little more than a whisper.

Arcturus smirked, but said nothing more as he led the teen towards a waiting Dorea.

"Check him over, Dor, thoroughly. There's definitely something wrong with this one," he intoned jokingly.

Dorea shook her head and pushed him into a chair.

"Harry already fixed the cut and gave me some potions," Remus explained.

The woman nodded.

"I will just check for any curse residue and make sure the cut won't come undone," she informed him as she waved her wand around the now sealed wound a few times, nodding further in approval.

"You'll live," she declared.

She smiled at him gratefully as she gave his knee an affectionate pat.

"And thank you, for what you did."

Remus bowed his head and blushed slightly at the praise, something he didn't think he would ever get used to. The interaction between the two was interrupted by Arcturus who had remained with him as he sighed deeply and shook his head at the werewolf.

"It seems as though I find myself in your debt once again, Mr Lupin," he deadpanned.

Remus shook his head.

"You have already done so much for me, Lord Black."

"As have you, for myself and my family," the man countered.

"There isn't anything I want," Remus sighed.

Arcturus smiled slightly and nodded.

"Then I owe you a favour, a conversation for another time," he replied, echoing the first talk of this nature he shared with the boy.

He turned to leave, and Remus stood, halting his step as his attention returned to the nervous looking teen who was staring over his shoulder. He glanced in the same direction and was met with the sight of his granddaughter looking towards them in concern as an Auror seemingly talked at her.

"There is one thing," Remus whispered.

Arcturus raised an eyebrow and waited for him to speak further.

The werewolf swallowed deeply before proceeding.

"I have managed to dissuade her, I think," he began uncertainly. "Neither of us are ready for a relationship or to even consider it." He steeled himself as he met the penetrating gaze of the older man. "I told her what I was and why we can't. I explained that, for now, I am too old for her," he elaborated. "She said she would wait for me, and I hope that she does forget about me. It would be best for her. I won't pursue her, and I will keep my distance," he assured the Black patriarch. "There's only one thing that I would ask you."

Arcturus frowned slightly and nodded for him to continue.

"If she doesn't get over it, and if she does approach me however long from now, just, don't make me break her heart," he almost begged.

The older man looked between his granddaughter and the boy in front of him, meeting his eyes and pleading within them as he sighed.

"I have always been keen for my children and theirs to make their own way in life when it comes to matters of the heart. You have been honest with her, and me. You have been there for her when she has needed it most," he conceded. "If that day does come, then I will not stand in your way, nor hers. It will always be her choice, and if she chooses you, then she could certainly do worse."

Remus nodded gratefully.

"I will try to discourage it, sir," he vowed.

"And I strongly suspect you will fail miserably. If the way she is looking at you is anything to go by, then you already have her heart."

He looked towards the girl who was still watching him with concern. He smiled at her, indicating that he was okay before addressing her Grandfather.

"If that's true, then I will make sure I am not a disappointment to her. But only when we are both ready."

Arcturus nodded gratefully before walking away towards the Aurors.

"You've got some nerve, Remus," Dorea praised. "The fact that you asked for something for her got to him. He's always had a weakness for Cissy."

Remus chuckled in relief.

"I thought he was going to curse me."

"You're not the only one," Dorea replied as she followed in the footsteps of her brother, leaving behind a fortunate werewolf in her wake.

As she left, he was joined by James and Sirius, both of which hugged him tightly.

"Mad bastard," Sirius mumbled in his ear.

"What's going on with them?" he questioned as he nodded towards the Aurors.

Sirius shrugged.

"They're taking them in. One of them said something to Harry about helping them with something."

"I can't think of a better Christmas present for him," Sirius snorted.

"No, I can't either," Remus agreed as he was treated to a shy smile from Narcissa once more, something that James was not as oblivious to as Sirius appeared to be.

(BREAK)

He now knew that he had to act faster than he had anticipated, thanks to the idiot Malfoy boy and his companions. His wroth had been a sight to behold when he had been informed of their capture and detainment, a mission he had neither been privy to nor approved of. Abraxus had taken the brunt of his fury, and had yet to recover from his personal attentions, the one thing that brought a slight smile to his pale lips.

He had expressly forbidden any such efforts, so that he had time to consolidate his forces unhindered by the interference of those in charge, something that would now be almost impossible because of their downright foolishness. Things had changed, and not to his benefit. The bureaucrats had seemingly been more active than he had known, using subterfuge to their advantage, building up everything they could use against him to gain an advantage, to destroy everything he had tirelessly been working towards.

It was hindering him now, that he could not deny, but he was accepting of this, much more than he would have believed himself capable of being.

He knew who was largely to blame, there was only one person that could compromise his mark in the way that had clearly been done and allowed the new laws to be passed. His own men, although many holding seats in the Wizengamot, had been unable to prevent the development, they themselves now excluded from the body.

"Well played, Potter," he praised his foe genuinely. "But it means nothing," he hissed furiously.

He would still prevail, no matter what obstacle was put before him, and now, there was only one that needed to be dealt with, once a potential ally, now more than ever, the thorn in his side that he had tried to prevent.

Harry Potter had to be eliminated from the equation.

Not only had he been a direct threat to himself, something that he had since mitigated, but he had proven himself as a threat to his entire regime, and that could not be allowed to continue. He would have to end him soon, it was the surest way to success.

If Potter was dead, then there was none that could physically prevent him from taking what he wanted.

He had no doubt that some would try, but they stood as mere men whereas himself and Potter were titans, giants amongst men. There was no other that could stand against him, not even his former headmaster. The man was a pacifist, weak and foolish. Potter was different, like himself in many ways; Just as ruthless, as cunning and dangerous.

Potter however, regardless of his talents, was still just a boy, but a threat indeed, a threat that would be neutralised imminently.

He slammed the days newspaper on the desk, gracing the heading with a final look of loathing.

 **Outlawed: The Dark Lord, The Dark Mark, And His Followers**

An up-close image of his mark adorned the page along with a statement that the Minister had made to the press, explaining the decrees that had passed motion. In short, neither himself nor his followers could operate as openly as they had been, it was now impossible for him to operate in the political field and the Aurors would now be actively looking to bring his followers in as wanted men.

It was a disaster for him, having achieved so much before true notice had been taken. In truth, he had achieved much more than he needed to, preparing himself for this potential eventuality, but it still irked him that there were those that would dare openly defy him.

However, all would be well once more when Potter was gone. He repeated it to himself within his mind continually, a mantra that consumed him and left him uncaring of all else around him.

The only thing that mattered now was Potter and ending his miserable existence, only then could he continue his work successfully. Only then, could he seize the power he had always craved.

 **A/N**

 **Hello Guys and Gals,**

 **You again have my apologies for the delay in getting this out. An opportunity for some much-needed work came my way and I could not refuse it. That however, has now passed and I find myself in the same bind I was in prior to Christmas and I am having a bit of a crisis in deciding what it is I should do.**

 **I love writing, more than anything else and would love to do this full time. I have been looking into freelancing, but there is so much contradictory information online. If anybody has any sound advice or experience, then anything you could provide me would be much appreciated.**

 **I did have a bit of a crisis with all of this and nearly quit altogether, but I'm not that kind of person. I'm a firm believer in chasing your dreams, and I will continue to do so. It was suggested to me by a couple of people that I start a funding page of sorts, but again, this is something I know little of. Any suggestions or advice on this would be much appreciated. If I think it is a viable option, then I may well pursue one, especially if it will allow me to follow my passion and be able to write more.**

 **In conjunction with all of this, I want to be much more interactive with all of you guys. I have welcomed PM's and such, but I don't really get them unless I log in on the web, and let's be honest, the messaging service on here is quite poor. In light of this, I now have a twitter account, so please do follow me where I will post updates for this, what the hell else I am up to and also some recommended reads and such. I would also like to get the point where I can do some giveaways for all of you. My twitter is below, (It is the one with the Sirius Black tattoo, part of my own HP sleeve I am working on)**

 **mccusker_lee**

 **And finally, I have purposely avoided scenes of intimacy thus far as I myself don't feel they add much substance to the story; however, I would like to hear your thoughts on this and whether you would like to see a Harry/Bella scene? I would not be inclined to make it distasteful and smutty, that's just not my thing, but if this is something that would prove to be popular, I'm willing to write it so long as it is tasteful.**

 **As usual, I thank all of you for all the support, I can't put into words how much I appreciate it. Please do feel free to message me and please do review, favourite and follow.**

 **Love to all,**

 **TBR**


	18. The Approaching Darkness

**A/N**

 **So here it is, part 1 of the final chapter for 'Stepping Back', Of course, an epilogue will follow these.**

 **I have received mixed reactions to the idea of an intimate scene between Harry and Bellatrix. Because of this, and in an attempt to appease everyone, I will write the scene but it will be published as a separate companion piece for those that wish to read it. I would recommended adding me to your alerts, and I of course will give you all a heads up on Twitter when it is done.**

 **I want to thank everyone who has followed me on Twitter thus far, the support is very much appreciated. I post out daily updates of what I am up to and welcome questions and any interaction you guys want to have with me.**

 **The first chapter of my original work; 'The Gift of the Gods' is available and free for all to read on my page, which has been updated today, so please do check it out as all feedback is welcome and support the page where possible, it is much appreciated.**

 **Details for my Twitter and are on my profile page on here. On both mediums, I will keep you updated with when to expect future chapters and what my own plans are for the future.**

 **Although, as you will see when check the page out, the way I publish will change, the remainder of 'Stepping Back' will be published as normal. I wouldn't make these changes regarding this at the point we are at for the story.**

 **I have several ideas for original works and, dozens more for Fanfiction including the possibility for some 'Game of Thrones' stories alongside 4 more definite Harry Potter adventures I have planned.**

 **Anyway, thank you to everyone who supports me in which way you choose to. I am always humbled by the response and feedback I receive.**

 **TBR**

 **Chapter 18: The Approaching Darkness**

It was difficult for Harry to not feel both a sense of smugness and pleasure by his efforts during the Christmas break, although he knew his unshakably good mood was the result of little more than some petty revenge, despite his work being rather pivotal in turning the tide more to his favour. But knowing that he had personally turned Lucius Malfoy into a squib was enough to keep a grin on his face for the remaining days of his time away from the castle, a grin that any who knew him would find foreign and more than a little unsettling.

Although the grin was no longer visible as he departed the Hogwarts express with the other Marauders, the jubilation within had not waned at all. He was acutely aware that his achievement would mean little on the grand scheme of things, but he would not fight the contentment he had been granted from the victory of a personal vendetta he'd held since the man had attempted to fire the killing curse at him when he was only 12 years old.

His joy was not only due to seeing Lucius finally receiving some justice for his abhorrence. Bellatrix had joined them on the return journey to school, the young woman feeling ready enough to finish the final months of her education. Harry had no doubt that she could complete her NEWTS as she was, but he couldn't deny he had sorely missed her during her absence from the castle, despite the fact he had been visiting her regularly enough. It simply had not been the same without her attending lessons and sharing their moments together after the days' work had been completed.

He offered her an arm as she stepped of the train, her eyes containing a hint of nervousness within them. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as the pair led the way towards the carriages, garnering their fair share of attention from their fellow students.

It was a tight squeeze accommodating all five of the marauders, Lily, Alice, Marlene and Bellatrix in the thestral-pulled carriage and it was thankfully only a short journey to the grounds where they found themselves within the Great Hall soon after and taking their seats for the welcoming feast to begin.

The eyes of the headmaster trailed over the returning students, twinkling merrily as he spotted Bellatrix seated at the Slytherin table with her younger sister, most of her fellow housemates seemingly greeting her as affable as could be expected by the house of the snakes.

He stood when all had taken their seats and gave a cursory glance down the length of each table, pleased to note that there were not any unexplained absences either from attack, or involvement with the followers of the Dark Lord.

"I welcome you all warmly back to Hogwarts and hope that your time away was both enjoyable and productive," he offered with a bow. "For our fifth- and seventh-year students, it is now a very crucial time during your education and one I hope you do not take lightly. Your professors will make themselves available for any additional assistance you may require, something they will discuss with you in your classes and Madam Pince is also at your disposal, should you need a point in the right direction towards any books you may need."

He ignored the snort that came from the direction of Sirius Black at the Gryffindor table as he pressed on, the subject that now needed to be addressed even less pleasant than the discussion about exams.

"As I am sure you are aware, recent legislation passed by the Wizengamot has decreed that the carrying of the Dark Mark is illegal and any caught with it are liable to a rather unpleasant stay in Azkaban," he began gravely, his eyes no longer twinkling in their usual manner. "Those rules apply within these walls also. Should any be caught with the mark, they will be summarily handed over to the aurors for investigation. Those labelling themselves as Death Eaters are considered a rebel group led by a wanted man. We will not be searching students, as this is against the school charter. We will however be keeping a very close eye on all within these walls to ensure that we re not unknowingly housing fugitives, and any that fall under our suspicion will be dealt with accordingly. For those of you that are seventeen or above, you are considered adults in the eye of the Ministry and the clause of the charter that protects underage students, does not apply to you. We can and we will retain the right to carry out searches if necessary," he warned.

A considerable amount of grumbling met his words, but there were none in attendance that were particularly alarmed by the proclamation.

"With all of that being said, I wish you all the best of luck with the remainder of the year."

He waved his hand dramatically across the room, causing the platters to fill with food before taking his seat once more, hoping that the second half of the term could pass without any unpleasant incidences.

(BREAK)

Severus Snape was irritated and more than a little perturbed to have been summoned to a meeting with his head of house on the first day of the new term. He couldn't fathom what the man could possibly want with him so early as to drag him away from his untouched breakfast. He suspected that he was about to be subject to a search of sorts for the mark of the Dark Lord, and in truth, he couldn't blame the faculty for having such suspicions of him based on his past transgressions. He just wished they'd had the decency to allow him to eat first.

He staked through the corridors of the dungeons, glaring at any who dared impede him with their presence and found himself knocking on the door to the rotund man's office. The door opened only a moment later and he was admitted by the man who offered him a seat before he made his way to his own chair which creaked under the brunt of his weight.

It was, however, not only Severus' presence that had been required. In the chair next to his sat a very nervous looking Peter Pettigrew whom he greeted with his usual sneer reserved for the pudgy boy and his ilk.

Slughorn, oblivious to this, greeted them both with his usual jovial smile before addressing them.

"Now, gentleman. I imagine you are wondering why you are here?" he began, his jowls wobbling excitedly. "You have my apologies for disturbing your meal, but what I wish to discuss, is much more important."

He found himself faced by two questioning frowns, though neither of the students spoke and waited for him to continue.

"The time of year has come upon us where us professors must decide if there are any in our graduating year are suitable to be considered for an apprenticeship. Your reason for being here, is that I would like to formally offer the two of you that opportunity."

He leaned back in his chair and allowed his words to be absorbed by the two, each now adorning looks of shock and confusion. It was Severus that found his voice first.

"You said that you wouldn't apprentice me because of everything that happened last year," he stated with a deepening frown.

"I did," Slughorn sighed. "Things have changed Mr Snape. You have changed," he added with sincerity. "Your work continues to be as exemplary as ever in most subjects, but you have not been involved in any unpleasantness within these walls as far as I am aware since our last discussion and it would be remiss of me to not nurture the gift for potions you have. Not only would it be bad form on my own part, but I believe there is much you have to offer to the field."

Severus nodded his understanding as he considered the benefits.

"Why am I here, sir," Peter piped up. "Shouldn't you be offering this to Lily instead?"

Slughorn smiled at the boy.

"Miss Evans will be having a similar conversation with Professor Flitwick. He was rather quick to claim her for his own, and he grudgingly has my agreement. Although Lily would be a fantastic potioneer, I believe her heart already belongs to charms," he sighed with a slight frown of his own. "However, regardless of Miss Evans, you would have been afforded the same opportunity, Mr Pettigrew. You work is also far beyond the standard that is expected of a student."

"What does all of this entail exactly?" Severus interjected. "It is the master's prerogative to name the terms and requirements."

Slughorn bowed his head in acknowledgement and graced the pair with another smile.

"I can assure you the terms will not be taxing," he promised. "You will both apprentice under me for no less than five years. You will assist me with my teaching as and when necessary. And you will finally swear an oath that all work you undertake will be for the betterment and progress of the subject."

"That's it?" Peter questioned.

"It is, but due to the current climate, you will both submit yourselves to a search, so that it can be ascertained that you are not a marked follower of the Dark Lord and will be subject to this search sporadically."

Both boys nodded their agreement, much to the professor's relief.

Without prompt, Severus stood and lifted both of his sleeves revealing his sallow, yet unblemished skin. Peter followed suit eliciting a warm smile from the man.

"Would I be right to think that you are both accepting?" he asked.

Again, the pair nodded and the jovial manner of the man vanished.

"Excellent, but I give you both fair warning. If either of you disgrace myself, the agreement you are entering or the subject, I will ensure that neither of you will practice potions in any professional capacity. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir," the teens chorused.

"This means that the two of you will be working closely together on a number of projects, both in and out of the classroom and I will not have any of your prejudices compromising either of your educations, is that also clear?"

There was a slight hesitation from each before they expressed their agreement.

"You do not have to be friends, but you will be colleagues. You may not see eye to eye on many things, but when you are at work at the school or wherever it may be, I expect you to conduct yourself in a completely professional manner."

He allowed his final severe words to settle within them before his usual demeanour surfaced once more.

"You will each receive a stipend of 500 Galleons per quarter for personal use, and all of your required equipment, books and ingredients will be supplied by the school," he explained.

Severus felt a cloud forming in his mind as he took in what was being said. Not only was he receiving a fantastic opportunity at a career he would thoroughly enjoy, the money he was receiving, though not lucrative by any stretch, was more than he had ever had.

Peter was also pleased with the offer and couldn't keep the smile on his face. The money itself would be a boon to his rather pedestrian lifestyle, but he was relishing the chance to explore his favourite subject further.

"I believe congratulations are n order for the both of you," the large man offered has he withdrew a rather expensive bottle of mead from his draw with three glasses. "Usually, this would not be allowed, but I believe in the circumstances, it would be acceptable."

He offered the two teens a glass and raised his own.

"To our future endeavours," he called loudly before the three drained their drinks in celebration.

(BREAK)

James Potter was nervous. Every time since his first day of Hogwarts that he had been summoned to the office of Professor McGonagall thus far, had never ended well for him. Usually, it would result in a lot of impending detentions, a letter home to his parents and a stern lecture from the equally stern woman. So far, he had been accepting of this. He had been guilty of all he had been accused of, other than the incident that had seen McGonagall's prized tartan tin reduced to shrapnel. But this time, he could not think of anything he had done that would warrant his summoning.

The prank at Christmas had been both masterminded and put into practice by Remus. Anyone who knew him was aware that he himself was not capable of such enchantments. He was simply at a loss to why the woman would possibly require his attendance.

He shook his head and sighed before knocking, ready to defend himself if he were to find himself accused of something, he had not been responsible for.

The door opened of its own accord and James entered the room warily to find the unwavering, grim visage of his head of house staring at him, the look given though grave, giving no indication to the trouble he was in.

"Sit, Potter," she ordered.

James complied immediately, not wanting to provoke her.

"Why am I here, Professor?" he questioned as he tried to prevent himself from fidgeting uncomfortably.

Professor McGonagall scrutinised the boy in front of her for a moment, but finally relented as she noted the growing tension of her student.

"I wished to inquire what your intentions are once you have completed your NEWTS, Mr Potter."

James frowned and shrugged non-committedly, relaxing slightly at the question.

"I thought we had the career meeting in fifth year?"

McGonagall's nostrils flared slightly.

"We did," she agreed, "but I would like to think that your goals had changed since then."

She tapped a file he had not noticed on her desk before she opened it and shook her head.

"I would like to think you aspire more than to, in your own words, get a job where I can prank people and stare at Evans all day."

It was funny when he had said it two years ago, but he now find himself blushing in embarrassment and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, that was stupid," he admitted.

"Indeed," McGonagall concurred, her own frown deepening.

"Well, I will have to take on my head of house responsibilities in the future, but that won't be for a very long time," he shrugged. "Other than that, I'm not sure. I did plan on joining the Aurors. I'm just not so sure that's what I want anymore," he muttered.

"Being an Auror is a very respectable and rewarding job," McGonagall pointed out.

James nodded.

"It is," he agreed. "I don't think I want a job where I could be killed any day. I must think about my family. There's not many of us left," he reminded her. "And everything that's going on out there has made me think about it."

McGonagall nodded and gave the boy a genuine smile.

"That is without doubt the most mature thing I have ever heard you say," she praised. "However, you shouldn't discount a career as an Auror if that is what you wish to do. Before you make a choice, I would discuss it with those that matter."

"I will," James replied with a grateful smile.

A short silence fell between the two before the woman sighed and spoke again.

"I do not wish to make your decision anymore difficult than it already is, Mr Potter, and you have my apologies, but I called you here to offer you an apprenticeship in Transfiguration, under myself."

James' eyes widened in surprise and he was immediately excited. Though confused by the prospect.

"Me?" he questioned disbelievingly. "But I am a terrible student."

McGonagall nodded.

"Admittedly, your behaviour has often left much to be desired. However, you are exceedingly gifted in the subject, more gifted than any that have entered this establishment in many years, and I do not say that lightly. You have frustrated me over the years, Mr Potter, but there is no denying your aptitude in Transfiguration. It is a very rare gift and one that even Professor Dumbledore has seen in you."

James was simply dumfounded by the praise being bestowed upon himself, and for the first time in his life, he was rendered speechless.

"People with the ability to become a master in transfiguration are very rare indeed. I myself have never had the confidence in any of my students to offer such an opportunity, but I believe, as does the Headmaster, that you are not only capable, but will excel in the field."

"This is a lot to take in," James sighed.

"I understand, Mr Potter. I would like you to seriously consider your options, but please do let me know in a timely manner. There would be much preparations to make should you choose to accept."

James swallowed deeply and nodded as he stood and offered the woman his hand.

"Thank you, Professor," he said solemnly.

McGonagall stood and accepted his hand, cheering internally at the sate she had managed to leave him in.

"There are many benefits to an apprenticeship, Mr Potter. You will gain access to tomes personally written by myself and Professor Dumbledore, get to meet and work with the most accomplished in the field and even get to train to become an animagus should you demonstrate the ability."

James smirked slightly, a smirk that unsettled the woman.

"Please do not tell me you have been dabbling in the practice already," she pleaded.

James' smirk widened and he shrugged.

"I won't tell you then, Professor," he replied cheekily.

McGonagall shook her head and sighed.

"Hypothetically speaking of course, if I were to ask you how far into the study you were, what would your response be?"

"Hypothetically?"

McGonagall nodded stiffly.

James dragged a hand through his hair nervously.

"I won't be in trouble?"

"This all hypothetical, Mr Potter. But I would urge to exercise caution with such dangerous magic."

James sighed.

"Hypothetically, I believe I have found my animal and can complete my change."

The widening of his Professor's eyes was unmistakable, though they narrowed quickly after.

"If this conversation were serious, I would say that you are full of Hippogriff dung," she challenged. "It took me close to 8 years of study."

"Then it is a good thing that it is not," James countered. "I wouldn't want to prove you wrong."

The corner of the woman's lips twitched. James Potter had always been a rather boastful boy, but there was something in his eye that spoke more truth than his brash words ever could.

"I do hope you consider my offer, Mr Potter. If what I believe of you is true, there really are very few limits in what it is you could achieve."

(BREAK)

Harry looked on in a mixture of pride and trepidation as Sirius and Bellatrix faced off against each other. The latter moved with a grace and fluidity that seemed impossible when one was in such a situation. She parried and danced with grace, a frustrating combination to face made only as equally dangerous as a myriad of curses, charms and jinxes left her wand with almost no discernible flourish, the movements masked within her own deadly dance.

Sirius, however, was no amateur, and though he could not boast the majesty his cousin demonstrated, his own approach to the art was no less lethal. His movements were purposeful, articulate and used minimally to maximise his stamina. His wand was a blur, and although lacking the same speed as his opponent, packed an unabashed amount of power and purpose with each cast. He looked every bit the future Lord Black, his grey eyes alight with the thrill of battle, his composure unwavering and desire to win absolute.

Harry tempered his urge to intervene, to bring the duel to a premature end due to his own previous experience of witnessing the two in combat. Despite the enmity between them having mostly been resolved, he knew both were quick to righteous fury and it would take very little for the embers of their former loathing to be stoked into a roaring inferno once more.

His heart, already fluttering nervously, began to thump uncontrollably and he drew his wand to separate the pair as Sirius dropped his shield a second too soon and his knee was clipped by a well-placed Banishing Charm, sending him a dozen feet back and landing in a crumpled heap.

"Shit," he cursed as he sat up, slightly disorientated by his unexpected tumble.

Bellatrix had frozen, her grip around her wand tightened, her knuckles white and she was ready to defend herself if necessary.

Sirius stood and shook his head before approaching his cousin, his countenance betraying none of his intentions. He reached only a few feet from her and smiled as he bowed respectfully.

"Well fought, cousin," he offered sincerely.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow in surprise before returning the gesture.

"You too, Sirius."

The boy hobbled to a nearby chair and groaned as he sat, glaring at Remus' mocking grin.

"Laugh it up, Moony," he grumbled.

Remus held up his hands innocently.

"You did well," he assured him. "None of us would have lasted that long."

Both Marlene and Alice nodded in agreement.

"Harry's been training her," Sirius sighed. "She needs to be able to handle herself that well if she's going to stay with the git," he jested, causing said boy to glare at him.

"She's a natural at this," Harry snorted. "In a fair duel, she will be better than me."

Sirius chuckled and frowned when he noted the sincerity in his friend's words.

"It's a bloody good job you're not a duellist then."

Harry nodded, a wide smile gracing his lips.

"Doesn't mean I can't take her down a peg if needed," he whispered in reply with a wink.

"Is that so, Mr Potter," Bellatrix muttered in his ear, her warm breath sending a shiver through him.

Harry turned to face her and smirked.

"We both know it's true," he replied before he kissed her on the cheek and disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Bellatrix flushed and growled as she began scanning the room for any sign of the boy, embarrassed that he could turn the tables on her with apparent ease.

"Come out and play with Bella, Harry," she simpered dramatically. "I promise I'll be nice."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," the disembodied voice answered, "but you won't win."

Bellatrix's grin was feral, and she immediately fired a stunner at the first glimmer of his reappearance only to be left breathless at what she witnessed.

Harry appeared, his eyes glowing and hair rippling gently as he casually stepped aside and caught the spell in what was a smoky visage of his hand. He grinned victoriously and vanished once more only to emerge behind Bellatrix. He touched her on the shoulder and caught her limp form before she hit the ground.

Sirius was the first to recover from the shock.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he demanded.

Harry shrugged, his grin now sheepish.

"That's the first time I tried it," he confessed, happy with the results.

Remus shook his head in disbelief.

"That shouldn't be possible," he muttered. "It goes against the rules of Arithmancy." His eyes widened significantly. "Unless the smoke can be used as a conduit, or unless what you did is wandless?"

Harry shrugged.

"Wandless, I think," he offered with a thoughtful frown.

"Best wake her up," Marlene advised knowingly.

Harry grimaced as he withdrew his wand and tapped his unconscious girlfriend, her eyes full of confusion, narrowing as she gained some clarity.

"I'm sorry," Harry tried.

Her eyes narrowed further as she smirked.

"You will be," she promised. "You can make it up to me later," she added with a saucy wink.

It was Harry's turn to blush as Sirius groaned in discomfort.

"I don't want to hear it," he whined as he covered his ears.

"Grow up, Sirius," Marlene huffed, "or should I tell them about the thing you suggested we try?" she questioned, her eyes alight with both mischief and mirth.

Sirius shook his head, pleading with his own eyes that she remains quiet.

"Disgusting mutt," Remus muttered.

"Why do you call him a dog all the time?" Alice questioned with a frown.

The three boys shared a nervous glance but were thankfully excused from answering as the door opened and a very pensive James entered, a look of shock and pride warring across his features.

"James?" Sirius inquired.

James smiled and shook his head, indicating he was fine.

"How many detentions?" Remus asked with a chuckle.

James shook his head.

"None," he replied, his tone subdued.

"What did McGonagall want then?" Sirius broke in, frowning in confusion.

"She offered me an apprenticeship," James revealed, his tone almost uncertain in the veracity of the words spoken.

Sirius and Remus guffawed but paused when they realised their friend showed no signs of joking.

"Bloody hell, you're serious," Remus exclaimed.

"No, he's Sirius," James retorted causing the others to sigh in despair. "What? he's always doing it," he grumbled.

"Well, congratulations," Marlene said, genuinely happy for the boy.

"I've never heard of her having an apprentice," Alice interjected.

"She's probably never had anyone as good as James," Remus replied with a warm smile. "Oh, come on," he implored as he was met with several looks of disbelief, "he was doing seventh year work in our third year."

"Yeah, well he doesn't have the best record of behaviour," Marlene pointed out.

"You can't ignore talent like that," Sirius returned as he pointed at James. "When it comes to Transfiguration, he's a genius."

James reddened slightly under the praise and tried to shrug it off casually.

Harry had said nothing but beamed proudly. He had always heard that James was gifted in the art, had witnessed it for himself, and this only proved it further. Even in his own time he had never heard of the stern professor taking on an apprentice. He stepped forward and pulled the boy into a tight hug.

"You deserve it," he whispered happily.

James nodded, a look of uncertainty and unease overcoming him.

"What is it?" Harry asked with a frown.

James sighed.

"We had plans to join the Aurors," he answered, gesturing between himself and Sirius.

Said boy shook his head and smiled in understanding.

"You should do it," he advised. "You can't miss a chance like this. I have to spend time with my grandfather learning how to run the family, and it's unheard of for an heir to become an auror. It's too dangerous and I have the family to think about," he finished sadly, but no less determined.

James nodded.

"Me too," he whispered. "I can't risk it, there's so few of us Potters as it is. I guess we had to realise it at some point."

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day," Marlene broke in, shaking her head.

"I think you are both doing the right thing," Bellatrix interrupted. "Regulus isn't strong enough to run the family and Harry hates politics and would probably wipe out the whole Wizengamot within five minutes of being in there."

The others laughed, agreeing with her conjecture.

"I'm sure the Aurors will be fine without us, they've got the fiery Alice Prince on the way," Sirius chuckled as he patted the girl on the shoulder.

"Only for the mandatory twenty years," she grumbled. "Then I can retire and spend my time in my greenhouses with Frank," she finished with a wistful smile.

"Greenhouses?" Harry asked.

"Alice and Frank both have a fetish for plants," Marlene sighed.

Harry smiled as memories of Neville surfaced, his own fascination with Herbology being identified.

"Frank doesn't strike me as a gardener," he mumbled.

"He's as gifted with plants as James is with Transfiguration," Alice defended. "I'm not too bad with them myself."

Harry gave her a genuine, unexplained smile.

"Have you decided what you are going to do yet, Harry?" Marlene asked.

The others looked on with curiosity as he shook his head.

"I have no idea," he sighed. "I thought about Quidditch, but I don't want the fame."

Sirius snorted.

"If you plan on killing the Dark Lord, you won't be able to avoid that."

Harry shrugged.

"The Ministry can take the credit for all I care," he huffed. "What about you?" he returned the question.

Marlene smiled shyly.

"I want to become a healer, but I want children too, at least four."

"You'll be a busy man, Sirius," James scoffed.

Sirius grinned, unfazed by the intended embarrassment.

"You'll get no complaints from me, and I don't know why you are laughing. They'll love their Uncle James and will want to spend lots of time with you."

James balked.

"I'll have my own to deal with," he whimpered, visions of miniature versions of himself and Sirius running rampant in his home.

The others laughed at his horror, only to be brought out of their merriment by the arrival of Lily and Peter.

"What's so funny?" the redhead asked, her emerald eyes bright with unspoken happiness.

"We were just laughing at James and him looking after his own and Sirius' brood of children," Marlene answered as she wiped away a tear.

"I'm not pregnant," Lily denied immediately, blushing profusely.

"They meant later on, Lils," James consoled her.

Lily huffed irritably.

"Well, that won't be for some time, not until I've finished my apprenticeship with Professor Flitwick," she replied nonchalantly.

"You too?" Alice questioned.

"Me too?" Lily returned with a questioning frown.

The others turned to James, causing the girl's frown to deepen.

"I was going to discuss it with you when I saw you," he sighed. "Professor McGonagall has offered me an apprenticeship."

Lily's eyes widened considerably as she hugged him, squeezing him as tears of joy filled her eyes.

"I couldn't be any more proud of you," she whispered.

James smiled happily.

"You think I should do it?"

Lily pushed him away gently and nodded.

"If anyone can, it's you," she responded with complete confidence.

"And I thought my news would be a surprise," Peter broke in with good humour. "I'm staying on with Slughorn, and Snape," he finished with a slight grimace at the thought of the other boy.

In a flash, Peter found himself on the ground, struggling to breathe under the combined weight of the other Marauders, each one offering him their congratulations and words of encouragement.

"Get off you bastards," he wheezed.

They relented when they were satisfied that he knew how happy each of them were and stood, breathing heavily.

"Shits," he cursed with a shake of his head as he attempted to flatten out his dishevelled robes.

"That just leaves you, Bellatrix," Alice prompted.

The girl tapped her chin thoughtfully with her forefinger as she gave Harry a lecherous grin.

"Well, I will have either three or seven children, they are two very magical numbers," she began, seemingly speaking to herself. "Although, I don't really like the number three," she added with a frown.

Harry's face dropped as he paled considerably, his eyes darting towards the door.

James roared in laughter as he took note of his reaction.

"I think she is joking," he comforted the panicking boy.

"Am I?" Bellatrix questioned as she glided towards him. "I think I would love seven of his children. Very powerful and beautiful they will be," she mused. "Not to mention all the fun we can have making them," she whispered seductively in his ear.

Harry gulped audibly as he shifted on the spot, unsure on how to react.

Bellatrix cackled and shook her head.

"You're far too easy, Potter," she mocked.

Harry sighed in relief, though the thought of having children with her warmed him to the core.

"Why not?" he challenged with a smirk of his own causing the girl to falter in her teasing. "I didn't have a family growing up, it's the only thing I ever wanted," he shrugged. "James said himself there's not many of us Potters left, we could make it our life goal to bring the numbers back up," he finished with a wink.

She scowled at him as the others looked on in shock, the jest between the two fading.

"If you mean that, really mean it, then I would do that for you. I'd give you twenty of them if it would make you happy," she offered as she pulled him into her arms, the warmth within him intensifying.

He knew she would, he could feel the sincerity in her words. He shook his head, nonetheless.

"It would only work if that's what you wanted. I wouldn't take away your dreams for anything," he replied in a whisper.

She smiled against his chest having never doubted that for a single moment.

"Well, there is something I want to do first, but there's someone I want to speak to before I make any decision. After I'm finished that, then we can have as many children as you like, whether that's one or twenty-one," she promised, her eyes shining brightly. "Will I see you tonight?"

Harry nodded.

"Same time, same place as before."

Bellatrix smiled as she pulled away and bid the others farewell. Everyone else had plans beyond completing their NEWTS, it was time that she put her own into action.

(BREAK)

It had been a very good day for Filius Flitwick, evident by the irremovable smile that had been upon his face for the duration. Prior to his discussion with Lily Evans, he had already been quietly confident that the girl would accept his offer and his assumption had been proven correct. She had taken the offer even before he could explain the benefits or her duties, something that had him chuckling in amusement at her eagerness. She would flourish under his tutelage, of that he had no doubt, and securing her placement gave him the needed confidence to pursue his secondary endeavour, one that held less certainty for himself.

He finished scribing his formal declaration stating his intentions to take Lily on as an apprentice and put the quill back in the pot before rolling and sealing the missive to be sent to the Ministry at his earliest convenience, sighing in relief that the arduous task had been completed quicker than he had anticipated. The relief however was followed by a sharp tapping on the door. Sighing again, he cleared his desk and id his visitor entry.

"Ahh, Miss Black," he squeaked, "I was pleased to see your return to the castle."

Bellatrix gave the diminutive man a smile and took the offered seat.

"I'm glad to be back, professor," she returned sincerely, causing the man to give a smile of his own.

"What is it I can do for you?"

Bellatrix took a deep breath.

"I was wondering if I could trouble you for some tips on entering the duelling circuit professionally?"

His smile widened, his secondary efforts unfolding in front of him with no input on his part.

"Well, I was going to send for you for that very discussion, but it seems that you reached out to me before the opportunity arose," he explained with a chuckled. "I will have to speak to your head of house as duelling is not on the curriculum. If we can reach an accord then I wanted to offer to take you on as an apprentice and coach you, were that to be of any interest."

Bellatrix's eyes widened as she nodded gratefully.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would appreciate it, professor."

"It would be no trouble at all, Miss Black," he assured her. "You have potential, and I have been considering this since the tournament last year. You are formidable and I believe you could make a very good career out of it."

Bellatrix warmed at the praise, having initially believed that he would be much too busy to assist her.

"If you are happy for me too proceed, I will write to the Lord Black and your parents out of courtesy."

"Thank you, Professor."

He gave her a bow.

"We can finalise the details at a later date once we have confirmation that we can proceed," he stated.

Bellatrix nodded.

"My grandfather and parents will agree."

"Excellent," the charms professor exclaimed. "I shall send for you once I've gotten word and we can make our preparations from there."

Bellatrix nodded and exited the office with a smile, pleased that her plan was coming together. A few years of duelling would be the perfect way to build her reputation before she settled down to pen her own works on the subject and even a few on Defence Against the Dark Arts. Who else but a Black could be a better source for such a thing?

Her anticipatory smirk remained in place as she entered the Slytherin common room, only to be accosted by Severus Snape. The boy had been rather subdued since the evening of the attack on Lily, since the start of term if truth be told but he had yet to deign her with his presence having taken to isolating himself from his peers for the most part.

"Black," he greeted her cordially enough.

The two had never personally been at odds with one another, but their relationship had never been amicable either. Snape was insignificant to her and to him, she was the perfect pureblood, hateful of any that she saw beneath, which was seemingly every person in existence if her haughty demeanour was anything to go by.

"What can I do for you, Snape?"

The boy swallowed nervously but steeled himself.

"I was hoping could get permission to write to Regulus. We were friends and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to him. I'd just like to know that he is doing okay," he explained.

Bellatrix couldn't hide the surprise she felt by the request. As far as she could tell, Severus Snape cared for no one and spent the first six years here licking the boots of Lucius Malfoy and Rudolphus when the former had left.

"It's not up to me, you would have to ask my Grandfather for that," she said flatly. "Or you could ask the heir," she added with a twisted grin.

She expected the boy to combust at such a suggestion and again found herself surprised by him. Instead of the anger a small part of her had wanted to provoke, he merely nodded his understanding, though his expression had soured.

"I will do that, thank you," he offered with a slight bow before he walked away leaving behind a bemused, young woman.

Bellatrix could only shake her head as she headed to her room. Pushing the curious moment aside, she headed towards the bathroom to prepare. She was meeting Harry tonight and she wanted to be at her very best for him. Just the thought had butterflies fluttering around her stomach, nervousness and insecurity sinking in, but she was determined. They had not discussed anything after the incident at the wedding had taken precedence and she had waited long enough. She knew what she wanted, she was certain she knew what Harry wanted, and they would both get their due tonight if her will prevailed.

(BREAK)

The seventh year Gryffindors had decided to mark the respective successes amongst themselves with an impromptu celebration. Harry, James and Sirius had procured a veritable feast from the kitchens with the help of a dozen or so keen house elves who had been ecstatic to provide the food and drink required. The group had spent the next several hours in the common room, indulging in excess, allowing any and all that wish to take part to share in the merriment of the occasion. It was when Sirius suggested supplementing what they had with a bottle of firewhiskey that Harry decided to take his leave and prepare for his time with Bellatrix, though Lily was firm in the fact that none of them would be partaking in the liquor in school. Her stance had relaxed on many things since she associated herself closer with the Marauders, but she would always be a stickler for the rules to an extent. It made the youngest Potter question how she tolerated James and his penchant for continuous infringement.

With a little more effort than he was accustomed to, he managed to push himself from his seat, and after making his excuses, he headed towards the showers. He was certain that Bellatrix would not appreciate the smell of fried food and butterbeer that wafted under his nose, the scent having clung to him. He dispatched of the offending garb before turning the shower on and peering at his reflection in the mirror affixed to the wall above the sink.

He shook his head and snorted at what he saw.

"Ron and Hermione would never recognise me now," he mumbled, taking a moment to ponder on the friends he had left behind. He pulled himself from his melancholic musings and entered the cubicle, basking in the hot water that washed over him.

He exited several minutes later, having cleansed himself thoroughly, and began the task of drying himself and his hair with his wand, humming a tune to himself he had heard on the radio several years ago, though he was certain the song did not exist as yet.

There were times since he had arrived that he had considered all the possibilities that could have been had he pondered the unique position he was in. Prior to his arrival, he could have educated himself on the muggle stock market, could have invented things sooner or even produced food he knew to be popular from the future, in turn securing his own.

Such thoughts, he knew, were folly. He was but a scared boy when he had arrived, well on his way to being prepared for the task ahead, but his unwise and immature mind had not accounted for any of this. He'd had very little exposure to the luxuries of the world growing up, and little had changed in his formative years at Hogwarts. Even if he was aware of these various opportunities, he was in no position to make it a reality due to his ignorance of how he could capitalise on it. He had no knowledge of how things were produced and the stock market was an entirely alien thing to him.

In lieu of continuing his fruitless musings, he finished dressing and gave himself a final going over, aware that Bellatrix would likely be waiting for him. Out of habit, he pocketed his invisibility cloak and copy of the Marauder's Map before exiting the dorm room. The festivities had become more subdued since his departure and he gave his friends a wave before leaving via the portrait hole and casting a Disillusionment Charm over himself. The cloak was useful, almost infallible, but he enjoyed the freedom the charm gave him and he did not have to worry if any part of him was exposed. He doubted any, other than Dumbledore would be able to discern his figure roaming the castle under the spell.

Unhindered, he arrived at the room and entered to find that Bellatrix was indeed waiting for him, sat upon a plush sofa, the room itself illuminated by only candlelight.

"Hello," she greeted him, an air of shyness around her.

Harry crossed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, revelling in the feeling of wholeness having her gave him.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He knew that she was still plagued by moments of difficulty and she would begin to withdraw into herself.

She nodded against his chest.

"Have you thought about what we spoke about at the wedding, before everything happened?" she questioned, worrying her lip with her teeth as the words left her mouth.

Harry sighed slightly and returned her nod.

"I have," he replied, attempting to control his composure.

"You don't want to," she stated flatly.

He shook his head as he pulled away from her and tucked an errant lock of her behind her ear, looking into her violet orbs.

"It's not that I don't want to," he denied gently. "I want to, more than anything, but, I'm scared," he whispered.

Bellatrix was taken aback by his answer and frowned gently.

"What is there to be scared of?"

He gave her a weak smile.

"What if you were to fall pregnant and I die?" he asked. "I grew up an orphan, I wouldn't want any children of mine growing up without me."

Bellatrix cupped his cheek and nodded her understanding.

"That's why we take precautions, Harry. We have both charms and potions we can use."

"But they are not completely flawless," he returned.

She sighed lightly.

"Harry," she implored, "if I were to fall pregnant, that child would be the most loved little thing you could ever imagine." She grabbed his other cheek firmly, her eyes boring into his own. "I believe in you, more than I could ever have faith in anyone else. You won't die, I won't allow it," she promised, her words laced with utter confidence in him.

She kissed him briefly and pulled away.

"If it did happen, I would rather spend the rest of my days knowing that I had every part of you before you were taken from me."

Harry felt his heart sink at her realistic declaration and felt a wave of fury roll through him; fury towards any that would dare to cause such pain he saw in her eyes in this moment, fury that would take away what he had worked so hard for. He couldn't assure himself of his survival, but Tom, and any other that dared stand before him, attempt to hurt this woman in front of him by taking him away from her, would face the full wrath of Harry Potter.

He relented with a nod and kissed her with abandon, determined to give this beautiful woman that had his heart everything that she desired.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs under his desk, groaning blissfully. He had spent the last few hours completing the menial work that came along with being headmaster, something he had managed to get up to date with the castle much more peaceful than it had been only a handful of months ago. He found that he quite enjoyed the busy work. It was not taxing, nor particularly complex, but it gave him a sense of achievement, something he could appreciate in his more senior years.

He checked the clock and decided that the few hours of sleep he would get best be had now. His work had taken him beyond his usual bedtime, but it was no issue; he would be awake long before anyone else. He had just extinguished the lamp by his desk and stood when his fireplace roared into life, the panicked face of Alastor Moody appearing, his eyes scanning for the presence of the man he sought.

"ALBUS," he shouted.

"I'm here, Alastor," Dumbledore replied as he quickly made his way towards the flames.

"Thank Merlin," the auror growled. "The Minister has been killed and her home under attack by bloody giants and a dragon. We are managing to hold them back but our defences won't hold out for long."

Dumbledore nodded his understanding.

"Fawkes," he called firmly. "I believe we may need Harry."

The bird trilled and disappeared in a burst of flame as the headmaster went about the task of summoning the order.

"Hold them as best you can, Alastor, assistance is on its way."

Moody nodded and his face vanished from the flames.

Dumbledore paced in front of the mantel, certain that Harry would arrive before any other. His assumption proved to be correct as only a few minutes later, a sleep-addled, yet alert Harry Potter appeared in a column of flame, much to the man's surprise. Fawkes had never transported any other as far as he was aware.

"What's happening?" the teen questioned, as he pulled on a jumper, not before the headmaster glimpsed his magical markings adorning his ribs.

"According to Alastor, Millicent has been killed and there are still giants and a dragon on the scene, that s all I know and they are desperate for assistance."

Harry nodded and hesitated momentarily before drawing his wand and sending off several patronuses, having learnt from his previous errors.

"I'll need my broom," he muttered.

Dumbledore requested the presence of an elf and gave the pliant creature the order to retrieve it. In only a moment, Harry had it and he paced back and forth formulating a strategy.

He paused and summoned the sorting hat, Dumbledore watching with a confused expression.

"I need the sword of Gryffindor," he pleaded internally.

"Of course," the hat complied immediately.

Harry removed it from his head and rubbed where the handle had struck him smartly. He drew the sword from within and took a deep breath.

"I've sent for the others, they will be able to handle the giants," he explained. "I've also alerted Lord Black and my Grandfather."

Dumbledore nodded gratefully as he eyed the sword the teen now carried. In any other scenario, he would have several questions for the boy. It was however not the time for such.

"You will have to stay behind and get them there, I'll go ahead and take care of the dragon."

Dumbledore was not happy with the plan but knew there was little other choice, only he himself could create a portkey from Hogwarts.

"We will arrive as quickly as we can," he assured the teen.

"Fawkes, could you take me?" Harry questioned.

The phoenix trilled in response and seized the young man by his collar before disappearing in a flash of fire, leaving behind a headmaster that couldn't quite believe what he had witnessed.

"I shouldn't be surprised," the old man chuckled despite the severity of the current situation.

Fawkes had always been much more affectionate towards Harry than he had any other visitor. Perhaps his phoenix would stay on once he had passed? It was something that he would ponder when appropriate. Now, his mind was needed elsewhere as was he.

(BREAK)

Harry appeared in a grove of trees, the smell of burnt flesh assaulting his senses and the sound of conflict a short distance away. Fawkes vanished immediately after depositing him, leaving him alone to throw himself into the fray. He began to consider his next move, only to be caught short by the sound of an ear-shattering roar, courtesy of the dragon he knew to be close. The roar made his hair stand on end, unpleasant memories from so long ago plaguing him.

He shrugged these musings off and mounted his broom before taking to the sky.

Once in a position in which he could look over the scene, he found him looking upon a veritable battlefield. Those standing their ground against the beast shielded themselves under makeshift physical and magical shields alike, none up to the task of fending of the beast's fire for any prolonged period as evident by the stench of charred flesh.

Further in the distance, just beyond the boundary of the large property, Harry could see a gathering of giants and smaller figures using the means available to themselves to break through the wards that were impeding them, each strike by the behemoths and spells by their counterparts illuminating the usually invisible barrier into being as it attempted to repel the persistent and perpetual barrage it found itself under.

Once they broke through, which was inevitable, it would only be a matter of moments before those valiantly defending themselves, though unsuccessfully for the most part, would be overrun by the supplement force.

Spurring himself into action, Harry flew towards the dragon, aware that his Comet was capable of only a fraction of the speed his Firebolt could produce. It was not the ideal nor desirable solution, but his options were limited. The dragon was fast and nimble in movement and he would need to be in the air if he were to have any chance to prevail over the monster. Very few spells could affect it, and the speed in which it moved would negate even the most accurate of casters.

As the target drew closer, he gritted his teeth, his hope of quelling the beast so easily ebbing away, exposing itself for the foolish notion he knew it to be. True to his assumption, the dragon took not of his arrival at the most opportune moment for itself, banking sharply to the right to avoid the swing of the blade aimed at its neck. With a roar of fury, it aimed a searing jet of fire to the nuisance that had attempted to end it.

Harry cursed under his breath as he rolled, the gout of flame passing barely above him, not close enough to burn him, but close enough that his skin prickled uncomfortably at the proximity of the heat. He angled his broom into a steep dive, zig-zagging from side to side, knowing that his agility was the only advantage he held, both relieved and fearful that the attention of the beast was firmly on him as it gave another angry screech at his daring.

In his periphery, he could see the other combatants composing themselves, preparing for the impending breech of wards and property boundary, the always dulcet tones of Alastor Moody shouting instructions that were lost to the wind rippling by his ears.

As the ground drew ever closer, he wrenched the nose of his broom upwards, pushing it to its limits and changing direction, heading towards the heavens, the dragon on his tail with its own demonstration of manoeuvrability.

As he climbed, he chanced a glance over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he looked into the open maw of the massive reptile, glowing menacingly with its yet expelled flames illuminating the coppery skin around its jaw, eyes narrowed with malice towards him.

He pushed the broom harder, urging it faster as the flame was spat in his direction, but ultimately unable to reach him with the distance he had managed to put between himself and the creature. Had it been a horntail, he knew he would have been unquestionably immolated.

It would be folly to continue in such vain. It would be only a matter of moments before that very fate would befall him were he to persist. Thinking hard, the sound of mighty wings flapping behind him, he reached a decision, an unfavourable one, but one he believed was his only option to emerge victorious from this also unfavourable battle.

He sighed, already apologising to those he loved internally as he braked and turned suddenly, the dragon ploughing towards him relentlessly. He steadied himself as the jaws approached, another onslaught of fire forming in the gullet, the equally amber eyes aroused and expectant. He jumped for all he was worth, grabbing aimlessly as his vision was obscured by the release of flame intended to reduce him to a blackened husk, the heat washing over him briefly as his hand found a hold that he clung to for his life, his heart pounding in his chest.

His vision cleared as a screech of surprise sounded too close for comfort. He had unwittingly latched on to one of the horns on the head of the dragon, the position precarious, but here he was safe from both the flames and teeth that were his biggest threat. The dragon did not take the presence of its unwelcome passenger well. It flailed in the air, attempting to shake itself free of the burden.

" _Stop,"_ Harry commanded, hissing in parseltongue.

The creature ceased its efforts for but a tense second before it continued regardless, of the instruction given in the noble language.

Having not expected any other outcome, Harry took the brief, fleeting pause to tuck the sword into his belt and pull himself upon its head, clinging tightly to prevent himself being hurled off by the gesticulating monster. With quite the effort, he manged to secure himself, only for his attention to be drawn at what was transpiring below as a loud explosion rang out.

Such an explosion could only have come from Peter's creation, and he took a little comfort and pushed down the fear he felt knowing that the others had arrived. They were all capable, this he did not doubt, but he would always e apprehensive that something could go wrong in situations. It was always a possibility, no matter how minute it may be.

The dragon, having been drawn by the sound, headed in that very direction, descending in a low swoop, seemingly no longer interested in the irritant perched on its head.

Harry deduced its intentions immediately as it dropped in the direction of those battling the giants and Death Eaters. Reacting instinctively, he drew the sword from his belt and hesitated for only a second before plunging the blade to the hilt into the skull in which he sat on.

The beast roared in unbridled agony, a sound that brought the battlefield below to a standstill as a defiant burst of flame came forth, the dying dragon slowly succumbing as it fell to the earth. Using the handle of the buried sword, Harry pulled with all his strength, aiming the spewing jaws towards the invaders, causing them to scatter. As the flames faded and the dragon fell limp, he jumped and drew his wand, waving it to slow the twenty or so foot to the ground he faced.

He heard and felt the dragon land simultaneously with himself, the ground trembling slightly beneath him as he rolled to his feet and blocked the inevitable spell fire that met him with a flick of his wand.

He noticed that two giants had been downed and were unmoving as he fought his way backwards to join his friends. As much as he wished he could stand before them and take on the threat, he was only in the way of the two warring sides.

"What the fuck were you doing, you idiot?" Lily greeted, surprising him with the colourful language she had chosen. "Of all the stupid things I could think you would do, this one takes the bloody cake."

He looked at her, only to be met with narrowed eyes as green as his own, dripping with fury. James stood just behind her trying not to grin at his plight as he shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

He had expected to be chastised for his actions and allowed himself to be cowed if only for the simple fact that a battle was taking place around them. He hung his head ashamedly and fought the grin that threatened to overcome at the thought of his mother, the same age as him, scolding him for his youthful foolishness.

He glanced to his right where he caught sight of Bellatrix staring at him intently, a mixture of relief and disbelief in her eyes, though she did not seem angry, only resigned. After she had finished contemplating the way in which he had joined them, she deflated and ran into his arms.

"I'm just glad you're okay," she whispered.

Grateful for her, he smiled as he gave her a gentle kiss.

"Fucking hell, Potter, will you think about your cock later and focus?"

The two snorted in humour as Moody's words and frustration, but they each turned towards the reforming enemy and went about the task of bringing them down.

(BREAK)

Bellatrix knew that she should have gone with him when the phoenix appeared, but he had assured her that it was likely to be something inane. He had been gone barely a few minutes before his patronus arrived, demanding her presence as soon s she could make it. In a rush, she threw on the clothes she had discarded earlier and made her way the office of the headmaster with all the haste she could muster.

Her assumption that the situation was imminently serious was only amplified by her meeting the Gryffindor seventh years on her way, none of which had been made privy to the situation they were about to face. Bleary-eyed, but alert, the entered the office to be greeted by the sight of a frantically pacing Albus Dumbledore.

"Do come quick," he instructed, his usual carefree demeanour absent, a grave countenance in its place. "I recently received word that the Minister's residence is under attack." He held up a hand to stall any questions knowing that time was of the essence. "There are an unknown number of giants and a confirmed dragon. Harry has gone ahead to deal with the latter but has sent for you all to assist him as best you can."

There were more than a few looks of surprise marred with concern.

"Peter, have you got your box?" James questioned.

The pale boy nodded as he attempted to compose himself.

"Good," he praised. "We have been training for this, so we deal with the giants. Myself, Marlene and Alice will do the transfiguration and Sirius and Bellatrix can banish them. Remus, you stay close to Wormy and cover him."

Remus nodded and gave the smaller boy a firm squeeze of the shoulder, relaxing him considerably.

Dumbledore smiled proudly at how prepared his students were, wishing it was not necessary to be so. As headmaster, he would have refused to send any other into the fray that awaited, but he knew he couldn't stop them if he so wished. They were all adults now, though young, and more than capable for what was required of them, more so than even the Ministry, he suspected.

With the brief planning phase completed, he conjured a length of rope and tapped it with his wand, causing it to glow an ominous blue.

"I will be along shortly," he assured them. "I am waiting for a few associates that will be able to assist us," he explained. He offered the length of rope to the teens and gave it another tap with his wand once they all had gripped it.

"Good luck," he sighed as the vanished from the school grounds.

(BREAK)

The group arrived on an expansive lawn among a cacophony of sounds; the roars of the giants ahead of them, the screeching of a dragon above, and the sound of cursing and spell fire. Ignoring the sickly, sweet smell of burning flesh and the fallen around them, they set about their own tasks.

Bellatrix watched as Lupin pulled the Pettirgrew boy slightly away to the right, doing his job and covering him as he removed a box from within his robes and enlarged it. Along with Sirius, who was stood at the other end of the trio between them, she waited to be provided with the first projectiles to aim at the five behemoths lumbering their way towards them, seemingly having just breeched the property wards.

Lily and Marlene chose to transfigure the debris around them into steel balls and James began conjuring them from nothing, his work seamless, effortless. This is where he excelled and Bellatrix could appreciate such talent, though the Potter heir made it look like a casual display of basic magic. Conjuration was not only a more tiring approach, but took considerable concentration to complete, and although what was being produce was not intricate in design, the rate in which he created the steel balls was impressive.

Her observations came to an end as she began her own efforts, flicking her wand and sending the balls that had been passed to her at the monsters, low and towards the legs as Harry had taught them. Her first strike was clean, the sound of metal colliding with skin a dull, sickening thud, emitting a scream of pain from the beast as it dropped to a knee, unable to stand on the limb any longer. The fate of the creature was decided in the next moment as an explosion left her ears ringing, the twenty-five-foot giant now prone and unmoving, a massive gaping hole in its' chest. She glanced towards Pettigrew, and eyebrow raised in appreciation as he felled another of their adversaries in the same manner, death claiming it much too quickly for any verbal outcry to formulated.

High above, she heard a scream of agony and protest as a black shadow loomed above, descending in their direction. The night sky allowed only the silhouette to be seen, and even without being able to absorb the finery that the dragon was composed of, it was a terrifying sight to behold.

"Shit," she cursed as it drew nearer, unable to will her eyes away from the approaching danger.

A gasp escaped her as the bloodied face of the creature came partially into view, courtesy of the flame welling in its open mouth, a lone figure perched upon its head. She readied herself to dive out of the way only for the head to turn towards their enemies as the flame was expelled, scattering those it had been aimed at.

The resounding crash and trembling of the ground as the beast had her frantically searching for Harry, already aware that only he would be reckless enough to carry out such a feat. She spotted him, her head shaking as his shield formed around him, protecting him from the slew of spells sent his way.

She breathed a sigh of relief and shook uncontrollably, unaware of how frightened she was until the moment had passed. Whilst attempting to calm her frayed nerves, she heard Lily berating him in her stead for his downright idiocy and smirked as the chastised teen hung his head and narrowed her eyes when she saw that irritatingly charming grin.

Their eyes met and they closed the distance between them, the battle raging on forgotten for the moment as she fell into him, breathing in his scent and listening to the rhythmic pounding in his chest for her own benefit.

"You stupid, stupid man," she whispered emotionally, causing his arms to tighten around her momentarily before he released her and placed a kiss upon her shuddering lips.

She snorted as a gruff voice scolded them for their lapse in concentration and extricated herself from him, the tender moments they had spent together that very evening fresh in her mind, her own aroma still lingering on him.

And then, the moment was gone as his eyes began to glow eerily, his attention turning to the carnage around them as he drew his purple and black wand, ready for battle.

Seeing that his friends were battling the giants successfully, Harry turned his focus on the aurors at odds with the Death Eaters who outnumbered them considerably. With Bellatrix in tow, he made his way to them, seizing one attempting to fell a giant individually.

"You're with me," he stated simply as he dragged the man with him who faltered under the stern gaze he was receiving and complied with a nod.

He parried a few errant spells aimed towards him before he reached the area Moody had situated himself with his team.

"Glad to see you could join us, Potter," the man growled, his words oozing sarcasm.

Harry grinned at him innocently as he, along with Bellatrix inserted themselves into the conflict with gusto, quickly dispatching a few charging cloaked figures with an array of cutting and blasting curses.

Seeing that their comrades were meeting much resistance here, the Death Eaters began to converge on them in droves, leaving the eight defenders facing around thirty hostile, eager followers of the Dark Lord.

"Any ideas?" Moody shouted as the man by his shoulder collapsed, stone dead as a result of a killing curse.

Harry gritted his teeth as he drew the Elder Wand and whipped it upwards, the ground in front of them raising to shield them from the onslaught. Knowing it was only a temporary solution at best, he took a deep breath.

"Cover your ears," he commanded loudly.

Bellatrix and Moody complied instantly, the others following the lead of the more senior man shortly after.

Harry sprung over the parapet and rolled away from a nasty Acid Curse before springing to his feet and taking aim.

"BOMABARDA MAXIMA," he roared.

The resulting explosion shook the ground beneath him and the shockwave sent him tumbling back over the edge of his shelter, knocking the wind out of him as he thumped to the ground.

"Fucking hell, Potter," Moody ground out.

"It worked," Harry wheezed, nursing his aching chest as they were met with the screams of agony from the wounded and dying on the opposing side.

Moody shook his head as he looked over, the impact zone where the spell had struck little more than a gaping crater in the middle of the land.

"Remind me not to piss him off," the man whom Harry had commandeered groaned.

"The giants are down and Albus is here," Moody announced, the sound of fighting having dwindled now considerably.

Bellatrix helped Harry to his feet, shaking her head at him in frustration. He in turn wiped away a trail of blood flowing from a cut above her eye, a look of concern in his own.

"I'm fine," she sighed with a smile. "I can handle myself."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't worry about you."

She raised a well-manicured eyebrow.

"You mean the way that I worry about you even when I know you can too?"

Harry gaped as he shook his head.

"Touché," he conceded.

Bellatrix huffed.

"Am I going to spend the rest of my life worrying about you fighting dragons?"

Harry chuckled.

"I'm experienced," he defended himself with a smirk.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him, her nostrils flaring in warning.

"And tell me, Mr Potter, did you jump on its back and kill it with a sword?" she questioned, jabbing him sharply in the chest with a finger.

He dragged a hand through his and.

"Not exactly," he mumbled as she shook her head, unamused by his antics.

"I'm just glad you're okay," she finally sighed as she kissed him on the cheek, melting into his arms once more.

"Look on the bright side," Harry implored, "you can now have yourself a nice dragon-skin jacket."

The dangerous glint in her eye subdued his antics as he retrieved the sword that was still protruding from the creatures' skull.

"I see you were successful," the voice of the headmaster sounded as he reached the duo.

"Best not talk about it, headmaster," Harry advised, "I believe I am in enough trouble."

Dumbledore chuckled at the glare the young man was receiving from his significant other.

"Ahh the recklessness of youth," he mused aloud. "I do believe however, that there is something we must see. Although we were quite successful, it does not change the fact that Tom triumphed here this evening."

Harry frowned deeply.

"He was here?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore confirmed, "it seems that he left as soon as his own task was complete, much to the detriment of his allies," he sighed as he gestured to the fallen mix of men, giants and the dragon.

"Why would he bother with a full-scale assault if he only wanted to kill the Minister?" Harry asked as Dumbledore led them into the partially collapsed and burning property.

"To send a message to you, I believe," Dumbledore answered gravely as he entered a room and pointed towards the wall on the far side.

The sight of the Minister stuck to it, her body mutilated beyond recognition left Harry feeling rather sick, the gasp of the others entering reflecting his own feelings on the sight accurately. It was not only the sight of the woman, stripped nude, flayed and cursed almost to the point of recognition, but the message the man had taken the time to scribe in blood around her:

 _Potter,_

 _I warned you when we first met. If you are to pull the tail of the serpent to be prepared to face its' bared fangs._

 _You failed to heed my advice and now the Minister has paid the price. It will be those you hold dear I visit next, and when they perish, only then will I come for you._

For the first time in what seemed forever, an icy fear gripped the young man's heart as he swallowed the welling emotion, his eyes passing over those he cherished here with him. Each stood resolute as he faltered slightly, their strength allowing his fury to ignite within him, his eyes glowing with promise.

"He did this to lure me here," he muttered, answering his own question as to why Tom would attack in this way.

None spoke, unable to find any soothing words or offer anything of worth to him.

He swallowed again as he addressed Arcturus.

"You need to make sure all of the Black properties are protected enough, and you need to do the same at home," he added to Charlus.

Both men nodded and left without speaking.

"Harry…" Bellatrix whispered as she placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"I will not have any of you harmed," he hissed furiously as he pulled away.

"Harry," she tried again, her eyes filling with tears at the sate he was in.

He shook his head, his magic rolling off him in waves, stifling and suffocating to those around him.

"What are we going to do?" James asked, his arm wrapped tightly around Lily's shoulders.

Harry met the eyes of his parents, refusing to allow Tom the chance to take them from him once again.

"I'm going to hunt the bastard down."

 **A/N**

 **So, part 1 is in the books as they say and part 2 will follow as soon as possible. There is much still to happen including the birth of a certain metamorph and the final confrontation between Tom and Harry where certain revelations will come to light.**

 **Until next time my fellow revellers,**

 **TBR**


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